S-3ASR

As filed with the Securities And Exchange Commission on November 26, 2008

Registration No. 333-

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Meridian Bioscience, Inc.	Ohio	31-0888197
(Exact Name of Registrant as	(State or Other Jurisdiction	(I.R.S. Employer Identification
Specified in Its Charter)	of Incorporation	Number)
	or Organization)

3471 River Hills Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45244
(513) 271-3700
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number,
Including Area Code, of Registrants’ Principal Executive Offices)

Mark A. Weiss, Esq.
Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
One East Fourth Street
Suite 1400
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 579-6599
Facsimile (513) 579-6457

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number,
Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

with copies to:
John A. Kraeutler
Chief Executive Officer
Meridian Bioscience, Inc.
3471 River Hills Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45244
(513) 271-3700
Facsimile (513) 271-3762

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement as determined by market conditions and other factors.

If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. þ

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. þ

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer þ  Accelerated filer o  Non-accelerated filer o
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company o 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

	Proposed Maximum	Amount of
Title of each class of securities to be registered(1)	Aggregate Offering Price(1)	Registration Fee(1)
Debt Securities
Preferred Stock
Depositary Shares
Common Stock
Warrants
Units

(1) An indeterminate amount of securities to be offered from time to time at indeterminate prices is being registered pursuant to this registration statement. In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r), the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee, except $2,305 that has already been paid with respect to $28,500,000 aggregate initial offering price of securities that were previously registered pursuant to Registration Statement File No. 109139 and not sold thereunder. Pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act, such unutilized filing fee is being carried over to this Registration Statement. In connection with the securities offered hereby, except as specified in the previous sentence, the registrant will pay “pay-as-you-go registration fees” in accordance with Rule 456(b).

Prospectus

Meridian Bioscience, Inc.

Debt Securities, Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Warrants,
Depositary Shares and Units

     Meridian Bioscience, Inc. may offer any of the securities listed above from time to time. In addition, the selling shareholders may from time to time sell shares of our common stock. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of common stock by the selling shareholders. This prospectus contains general information about these securities.

     When we or the selling shareholders offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement containing the specific terms of that offering. You should read carefully this prospectus and any prospectus supplement before you invest. This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

     Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol VIVO. On November 24, 2008, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market was $22.75 per share.

     Investing in these securities includes certain risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 3.

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

The date of this prospectus is November 26, 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	Page
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS		2
RISK FACTORS		3
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION		3
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS		4
USE OF PROCEEDS		4
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES		5
DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER		5
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES		5
DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK		11
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK		12
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS		14
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES		16
DESCRIPTION OF THE UNITS		19
FORMS OF SECURITIES		19
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION		21
LEGAL MATTERS		23
EXPERTS		23
EX-4.3
EX-5
EX-12
EX-23.1
EX-25.1

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     This prospectus is part of a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we may sell the securities described in this prospectus, and selling shareholders may sell shares of our common stock in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities which may be offered. Each time securities are offered for sale, we and/or the selling shareholders will provide a prospectus supplement that contains specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with the additional information described below under the following heading.

     The registration statement that contains this prospectus (including the exhibits) contains additional important information about us and the securities offered under this prospectus. Specifically, we have filed certain legal documents that control the terms of the securities offered by this prospectus as exhibits to the registration statement. We will file certain other legal documents that control the terms of the securities offered by this prospectus as exhibits to reports we file with the SEC. That registration statement and the other reports can be read at the SEC web site or at the SEC offices mentioned below under “Where You Can Find More Information.”

     You should rely only on the information contained in, or incorporated by reference in, this prospectus or applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates.

     Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this prospectus to “we,” “us,” “our,” “the company,” or “our company” refer to Meridian Bioscience, Inc. and all of its subsidiaries and predecessors as a combined entity.

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RISK FACTORS

     Investing in our securities involves risk. Please see the risk factors set forth in Part I, Item 1A in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our most recent fiscal year which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Additional risk factors may be included in a prospectus supplement relating to a particular series or offering of securities. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider these risks as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference in this prospectus. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations. These risks could materially affect our business, results of operations or financial condition and cause the value of our securities to decline.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     We are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, under which we file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may read and copy this information at the SEC’s public reference section located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549, at prescribed rates. Please call the SEC at (800) 732-0330 for further information about the public reference room.

     The SEC also maintains an internet website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information about issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that site is www.sec.gov. SEC filings may also be accessed free of charge through our Internet site at www.meridianbioscience.com. Information contained on our website, other than documents specifically incorporated by reference as listed below, is not intended to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information a part of this prospectus.

     We are “incorporating by reference” into this prospectus certain information that we file with the SEC, which means that we are disclosing important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, except for any information superseded by information contained directly in this prospectus. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents set forth below that we have previously filed with the SEC. These documents contain important information about us and our finances.

SEC Filings (File No. 0-14902)	Period
Annual Report on Form 10-K	Year Ended September 30, 2008
Registration Statement on Form 8-A	Filed on August 15, 1986

     All documents that we file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act from the date of this prospectus to the end of the offering of the securities under this document shall also be deemed to be incorporated herein by reference. Any statement contained in this prospectus or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or any other subsequently filed document that is deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

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     You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or calling us at the following address or telephone number:

Melissa A. Lueke
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Meridian Bioscience, Inc.
3471 River Hills Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45244
(513) 271-3700

     Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     This prospectus and documents that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. In addition, we may from time to time make forward-looking statements in reports and other documents we file with the SEC or in oral statements made to the press, potential investors or others. All statements that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements.” The words “estimates”, “anticipates”, “projects”, “plans”, “seeks”, “may”, “will”, “expects”, “intends”, “believes”, “should” and similar expressions or the negative versions thereof and which also may be identified by their context identify forward-looking statements. Such statements, whether expressed or implied, are based upon current expectations and speak only as of the date made. We assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they are made. These statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, without limitation, the following: our continued growth depends, in part, on our ability to introduce into the marketplace enhancements of existing products or new products that incorporate technological advances, meet customer requirements and respond to products developed by our competition. While we have introduced a number of internally developed products, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in the future in introducing such products on a timely basis. Ongoing consolidations of reference laboratories and formation of multi-hospital alliances may cause adverse changes to pricing and distribution. Costs and difficulties in complying with laws and regulations administered by the United States Food and Drug Administration can result in unanticipated expenses and delays and interruptions to the sale of new and existing products. Changes in the relative strength or weakness of the US dollar can change expected results. One of our main growth strategies is the acquisition of companies and product lines. There can be no assurance that additional acquisitions will be consummated or that, if consummated, will be successful and the acquired businesses successfully integrated into our operations. In addition to the factors described in this paragraph, see “Risk Factors” for a list of uncertainties and risks that may affect our financial performance.

USE OF PROCEEDS

     We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of securities issued pursuant to this registration statement for general corporate purposes which may include repaying debt, making capital investments and funding working capital requirements, or financing acquisitions. If we decide to use the net proceeds from a particular offering of securities for a specific purpose, we will describe that purpose and include any other relevant information in the related prospectus supplement.

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

     The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated.

Year Ended September 30,
	2008		2007		2006		2005		2004
EBIT		45,992		36,682		28,066		19,705		13,493
Fixed charges (interest)		—		38		128		770		1,557
EBIT before fixed charges		45,992		36,720		28,194		20,475		15,050
Fixed-charge coverage ratio		N/A		966		220		27		10

DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

     We may issue, in one or more offerings, any combination of senior or subordinated debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, warrants, depositary shares and units.

     This prospectus contains a summary of the general terms of the various securities that we may offer. The prospectus supplement relating to any particular securities offered will describe the specific terms of the securities, which may be in addition to or different from the general terms summarized in this prospectus. The summary in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement does not describe every aspect of the securities and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to all applicable provisions of the documents relating to the securities offered. These documents are or will be filed as exhibits to or incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

     In addition, the prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the offering, the initial public offering price and net proceeds to us. Where applicable, the prospectus supplement will also describe any material United States federal income tax considerations relating to the securities offered and indicate whether the securities offered are or will be listed on any securities exchange.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

General

     The debt securities are governed by a document called an “indenture.” An indenture is a contract between Meridian and the trustee, which acts as trustee for the debt securities. Unless otherwise provided in a prospectus supplement, the trustee for debt securities will be U.S. Bank, National Association. There may be more than one trustee under each indenture for different series of debt securities. The trustee has two main roles. First, the trustee can enforce your rights against us if we default. There are some limitations on the extent to which the trustee acts on your behalf, described under “Remedies If An Event of Default Occurs.” Second, the trustee may perform administrative duties for us, such as sending you interest payments, transferring your debt securities to a new buyer if you sell and sending you notices.

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     The debt securities may be secured or unsecured and may include senior debt securities and subordinated debt securities.

     This section summarizes the general terms of the debt securities we may offer. The prospectus supplement relating to any particular debt securities offered will indicate whether the debt securities are senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities and will describe the specific terms of the debt securities, which may be in addition to or different from the general terms summarized in this section. The summary in this section and in any prospectus supplement does not describe every aspect of the senior or subordinated indenture or the debt securities, and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to all the provisions of the indenture and the debt securities. The forms of the indenture and the debt securities are or will be filed as exhibits to or incorporated by reference in the registration statement. See “Where You Can Find More Information” for information on how to obtain a copy.

     The prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities will describe the following specific financial, legal and other terms particular to such series of debt securities:

• the title of the debt securities;

• any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;

• the date or dates on which the debt securities will mature;

• the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) at which the debt securities will bear interest, if any, and the date or dates from which the interest will accrue;

• the purchase price and other terms on which the debt securities may be redeemed, at our option or otherwise;

• the dates on which interest on the debt securities will be payable and the regular record dates for those interest payment dates;

• the place or places where the principal of and premium, if any, and interest shall be payable, where the debt securities may be surrendered for transfer or exchange;

• the date, if any, after which and the price or prices at which the debt securities may, in accordance with any option or mandatory redemption provisions, be redeemed and the other detailed terms and provisions of any such optional or mandatory redemption provision;

• any mandatory or optional sinking funds or analogous provisions or provisions for redemption at the holder’s option;

• if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denomination in which the debt securities will be issuable;

• if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities which will be payable upon the declaration of acceleration of the maturity of those debt securities;

• any addition to, or modification or deletion of, any events of default or covenants with respect to the securities;

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• any index or formula used to determine the amount of payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities;

• any provision relating to the defeasance of our obligations in connection with the debt securities;

• any provision regarding exchangeability or conversion of the debt securities into our common stock or other securities;

• the terms of any transfer, mortgage, pledge or assignment as security for the debt securities;

• whether any debt securities will be issued in the form of a global security, and, if different than described below under “Forms of Securities,” any circumstances under which a global security may be exchanged for debt securities registered in the names of persons other than the depositary for the global security or its nominee;

• whether the debt securities are senior or subordinated debt securities;

• any change in the subordination provisions applicable to the subordinated debt securities; and

• any other material terms of the debt securities.

     The terms of any series of debt securities may vary from the terms described here. Thus, this summary also is subject to and qualified by reference to the description of the particular terms of your debt securities to be described in the prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement relating to the debt securities will be attached to the front of this prospectus.

Events of Default

General

     You will have special rights if an “event of default” occurs, with respect to any series, and is not cured, as described later in this subsection. Under the indenture, the term “event of default” means any of the following:

• we do not pay interest on a debt security, in the case of senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities, within 30 days of its due date;

• we do not pay the principal or any premium on a debt security on its due date;

• we do not make a sinking fund payment on its due date;

• we remain in breach of any covenant or warranty described in the indenture for 60 days after we receive a notice stating we are in breach; or

• certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of us.

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Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs

     With respect to events of default relating to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, all principal and accrued interest on the debt securities shall become immediately due and payable. If another event of default has occurred and has not been cured, the trustee or the direct holders of 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the affected series may declare the entire principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be due and immediately payable. This is called a “declaration of acceleration of maturity.”

     Except in cases of default where a trustee has some special duties, a trustee is not required to take any action under the indenture at the request of any direct holders unless the direct holders offer the trustee reasonable protection from expenses and liability (called an “indemnity”). If reasonable indemnity is provided, the direct holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the relevant series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any lawsuit or other formal legal action seeking any remedy available to the trustee. These majority direct holders may also direct the trustee in performing any other action under the indenture.

     In general, before you bypass the trustee and bring your own lawsuit or other formal legal action or take other steps to enforce your rights or protect your interests relating to the debt securities, the following must occur:

• you must give the trustee written notice that an event of default has occurred and remains uncured;

• the direct holders of 25% in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities of the relevant series must make a written request that the trustee take action because of the default, and must offer reasonable indemnity to the trustee against the cost and other liabilities of taking that action;

• the trustee must have not taken action for 60 days after receipt of the above notice and offer of indemnity; and

• the trustee must not have received from direct holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with the written notice during the 60 day period after receipt of the above notice.

     However, you are entitled at any time to bring a lawsuit for the payment of money due on your debt security on or after its due date.

Modification

     There are three types of changes we can make to the indentures and the debt securities.

Changes Requiring Your Approval

     First, there are changes that cannot be made to the indentures or your debt securities without your specific approval. The following is a list of those types of changes:

• change the payment due date of the principal or interest on a debt security;

• reduce any amounts due on a debt security;

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• reduce the amount of principal payable upon acceleration of the maturity of a debt security following a default;

• change the place of payment on a debt security;

• impair your right to sue for payment;

• reduce the percentage in principal amount of debt securities, the consent of whose holders is required to modify or amend the indenture;

• reduce the percentage in principal amount of debt securities, the consent of whose holders is required to waive compliance with certain provisions of the indenture or to waive certain defaults; and

• modify any other aspect of the provisions dealing with modification and waiver of the indenture.

Changes Requiring a Majority Vote

     The second type of change to the indentures and the debt securities is the kind that requires consent of the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the particular series affected. With a majority vote, the holders may waive past defaults, provided that such defaults are not of the type described previously under “Changes Requiring Your Approval.”

Changes Not Requiring Approval

     The third type of change does not require any vote by direct holders of debt securities. This type is limited to clarifications and certain other changes that would not adversely affect holders of the debt securities.

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

     We may consolidate or merge with or into another entity, and we may sell or lease substantially all of our assets to another corporation if the following conditions, among others, are met:

• where we merge out of existence or sell or lease substantially all our assets, the other entity must be a corporation, partnership or trust organized under the laws of a State or the District of Columbia or under federal law, and it must agree to be legally responsible for the debt securities; and

• the merger, sale of assets or other transaction must not cause a default or an event of default on the debt securities.

Form, Exchange, Registration and Transfer

     Unless otherwise provided in a prospectus supplement, we intend to issue debt securities only in registered global form.

     You may have your debt securities broken into more debt securities of smaller denominations or combined into fewer debt securities of larger denominations, as long as the total principal amount is not changed. This is called an “exchange.”

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     You may exchange or transfer debt securities at the office of the trustee. The trustee acts as our agent for registering debt securities in the names of holders and transferring debt securities. We may appoint another entity or perform this role ourselves. The entity performing the role of maintaining the list of registered direct holders is called the “security registrar.” It will also perform transfers. You will not be required to pay a service charge to transfer or exchange debt securities, but you may be required to pay for any tax or other governmental charge associated with the exchange or transfer. The transfer or exchange will only be made if the security registrar is satisfied with your proof of ownership.

     If the debt securities are redeemable and we redeem less than all of the debt securities of a particular series, we may block the transfer or exchange of those debt securities during the period beginning 15 days before the day we mail the notice of redemption and ending on the day of that mailing in order to freeze the list of holders to prepare the mailing. We may also refuse to register transfers or exchanges of debt securities selected for redemption, except that we will continue to permit transfers and exchanges of the unredeemed portion of any debt security being partially redeemed.

Payment and Paying Agents

     We will pay interest to you if you are a direct holder listed in the trustee’s records at the close of business on a particular day in advance of each due date for interest, even if you no longer own the debt security on the interest due date. That particular day, usually about two weeks in advance of the interest due date, is called the “regular record date” and will be stated in the prospectus supplement. Holders buying and selling debt securities must work out between them how to compensate for the fact that we will pay all the interest for an interest period to the one who is the registered holder on the regular record date. The most common manner is to adjust the sales price of the debt securities to prorate interest fairly between buyer and seller. This prorated interest amount is called “accrued interest.”

     We may choose to pay interest, principal and any other money due on the debt securities at the corporate trust office of the trustee. You must make arrangements to have your payments picked up at or wired from the trust office.

     We may also arrange for additional payment offices, and may cancel or change these offices, including our use of the trustee’s corporate trust office. These offices are called “paying agents.” We may also choose to act as our own paying agent. We must notify you of changes in the paying agents for any particular series of debt securities.

Notices

     Notices to holders of debt securities will be given by mail to the addresses of such holders as they appear in the security register.

Governing Law

     The indenture and the debt securities for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

Concerning Our Relationship with the Trustee

     U.S. Bank, N.A. and its affiliates have, from time to time, performed and in the future may perform various commercial banking services for Meridian or its subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business, for which they received or will receive customary fees.

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DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK

     The following summary of some provisions of our common stock is not complete. You should refer to our articles of incorporation and regulations, which are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and applicable law for more information.

General

     Our articles of incorporation provide that we can issue up to 71,000,000 shares of common stock. As of October 31, 2008, we had 40,314,930 shares of common stock outstanding. Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders. Shareholders have the right to cumulate their votes in the election of directors.

     Holders of our common stock are entitled to share in dividends as declared by our board of directors in its discretion. In the event of our liquidation, each outstanding share of common stock entitles its holder to participate ratably in the assets remaining after payment of liabilities. Shareholders have no preemptive or other rights to subscribe for or purchase additional shares of any class of our stock or any other securities of ours. We do not have any redemption or sinking fund provisions with regard to our common stock. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid, validly issued and non-assessable.

     The vote of holders of 66-2/3% of all outstanding shares of common stock is required to amend our articles of incorporation and to approve mergers, reorganizations and similar transactions.

Provisions Affecting Business Combinations

     As an issuing public corporation, we also will be subject to Chapter 1704 of the Ohio Revised Code, known as the “Merger Moratorium Statute.” This statute prohibits certain transactions if they involve both the corporation and a person that is an “interested shareholder” (or anyone affiliated or associated with an “interested shareholder”), unless the board of directors has approved, prior to the person becoming an interested shareholder, either the transaction or the acquisition of shares pursuant to which the person became an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder is any person who is the beneficial owner of a sufficient number of shares to allow such person, directly or indirectly, alone or with others, to exercise or direct the exercise of 10% of the voting power of the corporation in the election of directors. The prohibition imposed on a person by Chapter 1704 is absolute for at least three years and continues indefinitely thereafter unless (i) the acquisition of shares pursuant to which the person became an interested shareholder received the prior approval of the corporation’s board of directors, (ii) the Chapter 1704 transaction is approved by the holders of shares entitled to exercise at least two-thirds of the voting power of the corporation in the election of directors, including shares representing at least a majority of voting shares that are not beneficially owned by an interested shareholder or an affiliate or associate of an interested shareholder or (iii) the Chapter 1704 transaction satisfies statutory conditions relating to the fairness of the consideration to be received by the shareholders of the corporation.

     Section 1707.043 of the Ohio Revised Code provides a corporation, or in certain instances the shareholders of the corporation, a cause of action to recover profits realized under certain circumstances by persons who dispose of securities of the corporation within 18 months after proposing to acquire the corporation. Although entitled to do so, we have not opted out of the application of this statutory provision. Section 1707.041 of the Ohio Revised Code imposes advance filing and notice requirements for tender offers for more than 10% of certain Ohio corporations.

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     These provisions of Ohio law would be important in any attempted takeover of us and could operate, depending on how utilized by the board of directors, either to discourage a hostile takeover or to enable the board to negotiate a higher price than may be initially proposed in any such situation.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK

     The following briefly summarizes the material terms of the preferred stock that we may offer, other than pricing and related terms disclosed in a prospectus supplement. You should read the particular terms of any series of preferred stock that we offer which we will describe in more detail in any prospectus supplement relating to such series. You should also read the more detailed provisions of our articles of incorporation and the statement with respect to shares relating to each particular series of preferred stock for provisions that may be important to you. The statement with respect to shares relating to each particular series of preferred stock offered by the accompanying prospectus supplement and this prospectus will be filed as an exhibit to a document incorporated by reference in the registration statement. The prospectus supplement will also state whether any of the terms summarized below do not apply to the series of preferred stock being offered.

     Our board of directors is authorized to issue up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our board of directors can issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series and can specify the following terms for each series:

• the number of shares;

• the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares; and

• the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, except as otherwise stated in the articles of incorporation.

     Before issuing any series of preferred stock, our board of directors will adopt resolutions creating and designating the series as a series of preferred stock, and the resolutions will be filed in a statement with respect to shares as an amendment to the articles of incorporation.

     The rights of holders of the preferred stock offered may be adversely affected by the rights of holders of any shares of preferred stock that may be issued in the future. Our board of directors may cause shares of preferred stock to be issued in public or private transactions for any proper corporate purpose. Examples include issuances to obtain additional financing in connection with acquisitions or otherwise, and issuances to our officers, directors and employees and our subsidiaries pursuant to benefit plans or otherwise. The preferred stock could have the effect of acting as an anti-takeover device to prevent a change in control of us.

     Unless the particular prospectus supplement states otherwise, holders of each series of preferred stock will not have any preemptive or subscription rights to acquire more of our stock.

     The transfer agent, registrar, dividend disbursing agent and redemption agent for shares of each series of preferred stock will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to such series.

Rank

     Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement relating to the shares of any series of preferred stock, the shares will rank on an equal basis with each other series of preferred stock and prior to the common stock as to dividends and distributions of assets.

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Dividends

     Unless the particular prospectus supplement states otherwise, holders of each series of preferred stock will be entitled to receive cash dividends, when, as and if declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available for dividends. The rates and dates of payment of dividends will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to each series of preferred stock. Dividends will be payable to holders of record of preferred stock as they appear on our books. Dividends on any series of preferred stock may be cumulative or noncumulative.

     We may not declare, pay or set apart for payment dividends on the preferred stock unless full dividends on any other series of preferred stock that ranks on an equal or senior basis have been paid or sufficient funds have been set apart for payment for:

• all prior dividend periods of the other series of preferred stock that pay dividends on a cumulative basis; or

• the immediately preceding dividend period of the other series of preferred stock that pay dividends on a noncumulative basis.

     Partial dividends declared on shares of preferred stock and any other series of preferred stock ranking on an equal basis as to dividends will be declared pro rata. A pro rata declaration means that the ratio of dividends declared per share to accrued dividends per share will be the same for all such series of preferred stock.

     Similarly, we may not declare, pay or set apart for payment non-stock dividends or make other payments on the common stock or any other stock of ours ranking junior to the preferred stock unless full dividends on all series of preferred stock have been paid or set apart for payment for:

• all prior dividend periods if the preferred stock pays dividends on a cumulative basis; or

• the immediately preceding dividend period if the preferred stock pays dividends on a noncumulative basis.

Conversion and Exchange

     The prospectus supplement for any series of preferred stock will state the terms, if any, on which shares of that series are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our common stock.

Redemption

     If so specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, a series of preferred stock may be redeemable at any time, in whole or in part, at our option or at the option of the holders, or may be mandatorily redeemed.

     Any partial redemptions of preferred stock will be made in a way that our board of directors decides is equitable.

     Unless we default in the payment of the redemption price, dividends will cease to accrue after the redemption date on shares of preferred stock called for redemption and all rights of holders of such shares will terminate except for the right to receive the redemption price.

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Liquidation Preference

     Upon our voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of each series of preferred stock will be entitled to receive distributions upon liquidation in the amount set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such series of preferred stock, plus an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends. Such distributions will be made before any distribution is made on any securities ranking junior to the preferred stock with respect to liquidation, including common stock.

     If the liquidation amounts payable relating to the preferred stock of any series and any other securities ranking on a parity regarding liquidation rights are not paid in full, the holders of the preferred stock of such series and such other securities will share in any such distribution of our available assets on a ratable basis in proportion to the full liquidation preferences. Holders of such series of preferred stock will not be entitled to any other amounts from us after they have received their full liquidation preference.

Voting Rights

     If we issue voting preferred stock, holders of preferred stock will be entitled to one vote per share on each matter submitted to our shareholders. If we issue non-voting preferred stock, holders of preferred stock will have no voting rights, except as required by applicable law. The prospectus supplement will state the voting rights, if any, applicable to any particular series of preferred stock.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

     We may issue warrants for the purchase common stock, debt securities or other securities registered pursuant to this registration statement and described in this prospectus. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities that may be attached to or separate from the warrants. We will issue each series of warrants under a separate warrant agreement that will be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, and will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular issue of warrants. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrant of such series and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency for or with holders or beneficial owners of warrants. The following describes certain general terms and provisions of debt warrants or common stock warrants we may offer. We will set forth further terms of the debt warrants, common stock warrants or warrants to purchase other securities and the applicable warrant agreement in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Debt Warrants

     The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any debt warrants, including the following:

• the title of the debt warrants;

• the offering price for the debt warrants;

• the aggregate number of the debt warrants;

• the designation and terms of the debt securities purchasable upon exercise of such debt warrants;

• if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which such debt warrants are issued and the number of such debt warrants issued with each security;

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• if applicable, the date from and after which such debt warrants and any securities issued therewith will be separately transferable;

• the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of a debt warrant and the price at which such principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon exercise;

• the date on which the right to exercise such debt warrants shall commence and the date on which such right shall expire;

• if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such debt warrants which may be exercised at any one time;

• whether the debt warrants represented by the debt warrant certificates or debt securities that may be issued upon exercise of the debt warrants will be issued in registered form;

• information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;

• the currency, currencies or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable;

• if applicable, a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations;

• the identity of the warrant agent for the warrants;

• the antidilution provisions of such debt warrants, if any;

• the redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to such debt warrant; and

• any additional terms of the debt warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of such debt warrants.

Common Stock Warrants

     The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any common stock warrants, including the following:

• the title of such warrants;

• the offering price of such warrants;

• the aggregate number of such warrants;

• the designation and terms of the common stock issued by us purchasable upon exercise of such warrants;

• if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which such warrants are issued and the number of such warrants issued with each such security;

• if applicable, the date from and after which such warrants and any securities issued therewith will be separately transferable;

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• the number of shares of common stock issued by us purchasable upon exercise of the warrants and the price at which such shares may be purchased upon exercise;

• the date on which the right to exercise such warrants shall commence and the date on which such right shall expire;

• if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such warrants which may be exercised at any one time;

• the currency, currencies or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable;

• if applicable, a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations;

• the identity of the warrant agent for the warrants; and

• the antidilution provisions of the warrants, if any.

DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES

     The following briefly summarizes the provisions of the depositary shares and depositary receipts that we may issue from time to time and which would be important to holders of depositary receipts, other than pricing and related terms which will be disclosed in the applicable prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will also state whether any of the general provisions summarized below do not apply to the depositary shares or depositary receipts being offered and provide any additional provisions applicable to the depositary shares or depositary receipts being offered. The following description and any description in a prospectus supplement may not be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the terms and provisions of the form of deposit agreement filed as an exhibit to the registration statement which contains this prospectus.

Description of Depositary Shares

     We may offer depositary shares evidenced by depositary receipts. Each depositary share represents a fraction or a multiple of a share of a particular series of preferred stock that we issue and deposit with a depositary. The fraction or the multiple of a share of preferred stock which each depositary share represents will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

     We will deposit the shares of any series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares according to the provisions of a deposit agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company which we will select as our preferred stock depositary. We will name the depositary in the applicable prospectus supplement. Each holder of a depositary share will be entitled to all the rights and preferences of the underlying preferred stock in proportion to the applicable fraction or multiple of a share of preferred stock represented by the depositary share. These rights include any applicable dividend, voting, redemption, conversion and liquidation rights. The depositary will send the holders of depositary shares all reports and communications that we deliver to the depositary and which we are required to furnish to the holders of depositary shares.

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Depositary Receipts

     The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the deposit agreement. Depositary receipts will be distributed to anyone who is buying the fractional shares of preferred stock in accordance with the terms of the applicable prospectus supplement.

Withdrawal of Preferred Stock

     Unless the related depositary shares have previously been called for redemption, a holder of depositary shares may receive the number of whole shares of the related series of preferred stock and any money or other property represented by the holder’s depositary receipts after surrendering the depositary receipts at the corporate trust office of the depositary, paying any taxes, charges and fees provided for in the deposit agreement and complying with any other requirement of the deposit agreement. Partial shares of preferred stock will not be issued. If the surrendered depositary shares exceed the number of depositary shares that represent the number of whole shares of preferred stock the holder wishes to withdraw, then the depositary will deliver to the holder at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing the excess number of depositary shares. Once the holder has withdrawn the preferred stock, the holder will not be entitled to re-deposit that preferred stock under the deposit agreement or to receive depositary shares in exchange for such preferred stock.

Dividends and Other Distributions

     The depositary will distribute to record holders of depositary shares any cash dividends or other cash distributions it receives on preferred stock. Each holder will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of depositary shares owned by the holder. The depositary will distribute only whole U.S. dollars and cents. The depositary will add any fractional cents not distributed to the next sum received for distribution to record holders of depositary shares.

     In the event of a non-cash distribution, the depositary will distribute property to the record holders of depositary shares, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make such a distribution. If this occurs, the depositary may, with our approval, sell the property and distribute the net proceeds from the sale to the holders.

     The amounts distributed to holders of depositary shares will be reduced by any amounts required to be withheld by the preferred stock depositary or by us on account of taxes or other governmental charges.

Redemption of Depositary Shares

     If the series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares is subject to redemption, then we will give the necessary proceeds to the depositary. The depositary will then redeem the depositary shares using the funds they received from us for the preferred stock. The redemption price per depositary share will be equal to the redemption price payable per share for the applicable series of the preferred stock and any other amounts per share payable with respect to the preferred stock multiplied by the fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by one depositary share. Whenever we redeem shares of preferred stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem the depositary shares representing the shares of preferred stock on the same day provided we have paid in full to the depositary the redemption price of the preferred stock to be redeemed and any accrued and unpaid dividends. If fewer than all the depositary shares of a series are to be redeemed, the depositary shares will be selected by lot or ratably or by any other equitable method as the depositary will decide.

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     After the date fixed for redemption, the depositary shares called for redemption will no longer be considered outstanding. Therefore, all rights of holders of the depositary shares will cease, except that the holders will still be entitled to receive any cash payable upon the redemption and any money or other property to which the holder was entitled at the time of redemption. To receive this amount or other property, the holders must surrender the depositary receipts evidencing their depositary shares to the preferred stock depositary. Any funds that we deposit with the preferred stock depositary for any depositary shares that the holders fail to redeem will be returned to us after a period of two years from the date we deposit the funds.

Voting the Preferred Stock

     Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of preferred stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will notify holders of depositary shares of the upcoming vote and arrange to deliver our voting materials to the holders. The record date for determining holders of depositary shares that are entitled to vote will be the same as the record date for the preferred stock. The materials the holders will receive will describe the matters to be voted on and explain how the holders, on a certain date, may instruct the depositary to vote the shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares. For instructions to be valid, the depositary must receive them on or before the date specified. To the extent possible, the depositary will vote the shares as instructed by the holder. We agree to take all reasonable actions that the depositary determines are necessary to enable it to vote as a holder has instructed. The depositary will abstain from voting shares of preferred stock deposited under a deposit agreement if it has not received specific instructions from the holder of the depositary shares representing those shares.

Amendment and Termination of the Deposit Agreement

     We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the form of depositary receipt at any time. However, any amendment that materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders of depositary receipts will not be effective unless it has been approved by the holders of at least a majority of the affected depositary shares then outstanding. We will make no amendment that impairs the right of any holder of depositary shares, as described above under “Withdrawal of Preferred Stock”, to receive shares of preferred stock and any money or other property represented by those depositary shares, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law. If an amendment becomes effective, holders are deemed to agree to the amendment and to be bound by the amended deposit agreement if they continue to hold their depositary receipts.

     The deposit agreement automatically terminates if a final distribution in respect of the preferred stock has been made to the holders of depositary receipts in connection with our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up. We may also terminate the deposit agreement at any time we wish with at least 60 days prior written notice to the depositary. If we do so, the depositary will give notice of termination to the record holders not less than 30 days before the termination date. Once depositary receipts are surrendered to the depositary, it will send to each holder the number of whole or fractional shares of the series of preferred stock underlying that holder’s depositary receipts.

Charges of Depositary and Expenses

     We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary arrangements. We will pay all charges of the depositary in connection with the initial deposit of the related series of offered preferred stock, the initial issuance of the depositary shares, all withdrawals of shares of the related series of offered preferred stock by holders of the depositary shares and the registration of transfers of title to any depositary shares. However, holders of depositary

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receipts will pay other taxes and governmental charges and any other charges provided in the deposit agreement to be payable by them.

Limitations on Our Obligations and Liability to Holders of Depositary Receipts

     The deposit agreement expressly limits our obligations and the obligations of the depositary. It also limits our liability and the liability of the depositary as follows:

• we and the depositary are only liable to the holders of depositary receipts for negligence or willful misconduct; and

• we and the depositary have no obligation to become involved in any legal or other proceeding related to the depositary receipts or the deposit agreement on your behalf or on behalf of any other party, unless you provide us with satisfactory indemnity.

Resignation and Removal of Depositary

     The depositary may resign at any time by notifying us of its election to do so. In addition, we may remove the depositary at any time. Within 60 days after the delivery of the notice of resignation or removal of the depositary, we will appoint a successor depositary.

Reports to Holders

     We will deliver all required reports and communications to holders of the offered preferred stock to the depositary, and it will forward those reports and communications to the holders of depositary shares.

DESCRIPTION OF THE UNITS

     We may issue units consisting of one or more of the securities that may be sold pursuant to this prospectus. The terms of any units offered will be set forth in a prospectus supplement.

FORMS OF SECURITIES

     Each debt security, warrant and unit will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of securities. Certificated securities in definitive form and global securities will be issued in registered form. Definitive securities name you or your nominee as the owner of the security, and in order to transfer or exchange these securities or to receive payments other than interest or other interim payments, you or your nominee must physically deliver the securities to the trustee, registrar, paying agent or other agent, as applicable. Global securities name a depositary or its nominee as the owner of the debt securities, warrants or units represented by these global securities. The depositary maintains a computerized system that will reflect each investor’s beneficial ownership of the securities through an account maintained by the investor with its broker/dealer, bank, trust company or other representative, as we explain more fully below.

Global Securities

     We may issue the registered debt securities, warrants and units in the form of one or more fully registered global securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and registered in the name of that depositary or nominee. In those

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cases, one or more registered global securities will be issued in a denomination or aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal or face amount of the securities to be represented by registered global securities. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole for securities in definitive registered form, a registered global security may not be transferred except as a whole by and among the depositary for the registered global security, the nominees of the depositary or any successors of the depositary or those nominees.

     If not described below, any specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any securities to be represented by a registered global security will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to those securities. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements.

     Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be limited to persons, called participants, that have accounts with the depositary or persons that may hold interests through participants. Upon the issuance of a registered global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants’ accounts with the respective principal or face amounts of the securities beneficially owned by the participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to interests of participants, and on the records of participants, with respect to interests of persons holding through participants. The laws of some states may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of these securities in definitive form. These laws may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in registered global securities.

     So long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a registered global security, that depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities represented by the registered global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security will not be entitled to have the securities represented by the registered global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the securities under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a registered global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for that registered global security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a registered global security desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement, the depositary for the registered global security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take that action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through them to give or take that action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.

     Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments on debt securities, and any payments to holders with respect to warrants or units, represented by a registered global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the registered global security. None of Meridian, the trustee, any warrant agent, unit agent or any other agent of Meridian, agent of the trustee or agent of such warrant agent or unit agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to payments made on account of

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beneficial ownership interests in the registered global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to those beneficial ownership interests.

     We expect that the depositary for any of the securities represented by a registered global security, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest or other distribution of underlying securities or other property to holders on that registered global security, will immediately credit participants’ accounts in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in that registered global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security held through participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with the securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of those participants.

     If the depositary for any of these securities represented by a registered global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. Any securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global security will be registered in the name or names that the depositary gives to the relevant trustee, warrant agent, unit agent or other relevant agent of ours or theirs. It is expected that the depositary’s instructions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. In addition, we may at any time determine that the Securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a global security and will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for such global security pursuant to the procedure described above.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     We or the selling shareholders may sell the securities through underwriters or dealers, directly to one or more purchasers, through agents, through remarketing firms, through direct sales or auctions performed by using the internet or a bidding or ordering system or through a combination of these methods. The prospectus supplement will include the names of underwriters, dealers, agents or remarketing firms that we or the selling shareholders retain. The prospectus supplement will also include the purchase price of the securities, proceeds from the sale, any underwriting discounts or commissions and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation and any securities exchanges on which the securities may be listed.

     In some cases, we may also repurchase the securities we issue and reoffer them to the public by one or more of the methods described above. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

     The securities we or the selling shareholders distribute by any of these methods may be sold to the public, in one or more transactions, either:

• at a fixed price or prices which may be changed;

• at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

• at prices related to prevailing market prices; or

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• at negotiated prices.

     We may solicit offers to purchase securities directly from the public from time to time. We may also designate agents from time to time to solicit offers to purchase securities from the public on our behalf. The prospectus supplement relating to any particular offering of securities will name any agents designated to solicit offers and will include information about any commissions we may pay the agents in that offering. Agents may be deemed to be “underwriters” as that term is defined in the Securities Act.

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

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

     If dealers are utilized in the sale of the securities, we or the selling shareholders will sell the securities to the dealers as principals. The dealers may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealers at the time of resale. The names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

     We or the selling shareholders may enter into agreements with underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in the distribution of the securities which may entitle these persons to indemnification by us against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments which such underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make in respect thereof. Any agreement in which we or the selling shareholders agree to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against civil liabilities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

     In connection with an offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell securities in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of securities than they are required to purchase in an offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of certain bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the securities while an offering is in progress.

     The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the underwriters have repurchased securities sold by or for the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or short-covering transactions.

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     These activities by the underwriters may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the securities. As a result, the price of the securities may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. If these activities are commenced, they may be discontinued by the underwriters at any time. These transactions may be effected on an exchange or automated quotation system if the securities are listed on that exchange or admitted for trading on that automated quotation system or in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.

     Neither we nor the selling shareholders have authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to give any information or represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information. This prospectus does not offer to sell or buy any securities in any jurisdiction where it is unlawful.

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

LEGAL MATTERS

     Except as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL, Cincinnati, Ohio, will issue an opinion about the validity of securities for us. Underwriters, dealers or agents, who we will identify in a prospectus supplement may have their counsel opine about certain legal matters relating to the securities.

EXPERTS

     The consolidated financial statements incorporated by reference in the registration statement have been so incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of Grant Thornton LLP, independent registered public accountants, upon the authority of said firm as experts in giving said report.

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses Of Issuance And Distribution.

     The following table sets forth the expenses in connection with the offering described in this Registration Statement:

Printing Costs	$	25,000
Legal fees and expenses		25,000
Accounting fees and expenses		25,000
Blue sky fees and expenses		10,000
Miscellaneous		15,000
Total	$	100,000

     All of the above expenses other than the Registration Fee are estimates. All of the above expenses will be borne by the Registrant.

Item 15. Indemnification Of Directors And Officers.

     Ohio Revised Code, Section 1701.13(E), allows indemnification by the Registrant to any person made or threatened to be made a party to any proceedings, other than a proceeding by or in the right of the Registrant, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant, against expenses, including judgments and fines, if he acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Registrant and, with respect to criminal actions, in which he had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. Similar provisions apply to actions brought by or in the right of the Registrant, except that no indemnification shall be made in such cases when the person shall have been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct to the Registrant unless deemed otherwise by the court. Indemnification is to be made by a majority vote of a quorum of disinterested directors or the written opinion of independent counsel or by the shareholders or by the court. The Registrant’s Amended Code of Regulations extends such indemnification. The Registrant maintains directors’ and officers’ insurance insuring its directors and executive officers against certain liabilities arising out of their service as such to the Registrant.

Item 16. Exhibits And Financial Statement Schedules.

Exhibit No.	Description of Document
1*	Form of Underwriting Agreement
4.1**	Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-02613) filed by the Registrant on April 18, 1996 and as amended as reported on Form 8-K filed on May 16, 2007)
4.2**	Amended Code of Regulations of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2(i) of the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Registrant dated July 17, 2008)
4.3	Form of Indenture
4.4*	Form of Debt Security
4.6*	Form of Deposit Agreement
4.7*	Form of Depositary Receipt
4.8*	Form of Warrant Agreement

II-1

Exhibit No.	Description of Document
5	Opinion of Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
8*	Opinion of tax counsel
12	Statement Regarding Computation of Earnings to Fixed Charges
23.1	Consent of Independent Auditors
23.2	Consent of Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL (contained in Exhibit 5)
24	Powers of Attorney (contained on the signature page)
25.1	Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of US Bank, National Association

*	To be filed as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K.
**	Incorporated by reference from other documents filed with the Commission as indicated.

Item 17. Undertakings.

     (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

     (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

     (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement.

     (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

     (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

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     (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

     (4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

     (i) If the Registrant is relying on Rule 430B (17 C.F.R. §230.430B):

     (A) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) (17 C.F.R. §230.424(b)(3)) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

     (B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) (17 C.F.R. §230.424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7)) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) (17 C.F.R. §230.415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x)) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or

     (5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

     The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

     (i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(17 C.F.R. §230.424);

     (ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

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     (iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

     (iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

     (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrants pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

     (d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file, if necessary, an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the Trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of such Act.

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SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Meridian Bioscience, Inc. certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Cincinnati, State of Ohio, as of the 26^th day of November, 2008.

MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC.
By:	/s/ John A. Kraeutler
	John A. Kraeutler
	Chief Executive Officer

     KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints John A. Kraeutler and Melissa A. Lueke, and each of them acting individually, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, each with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and to sign any and all registration statements relating to the same offering of securities as this Registration Statement that are filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any other regulatory authority, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature	Capacity	Date
/s/ William J. Motto *William J. Motto	Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors	November 26, 2008
/s/ John A. Kraeutler *John A. Kraeutler	Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)	November 26, 2008
/s/ James A. Buzard *James A. Buzard	Director	November 26, 2008
/s/ Gary P. Kreider *Gary P. Kreider	Director	November 26, 2008
/s/ David C. Phillips *David C. Phillips	Director	November 26, 2008

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Signature	Capacity	Date
/s/ Robert J. Ready *Robert J. Ready	Director	November 26, 2008
/s/ Melissa A. Lueke *Melissa A. Lueke	Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)	November 26, 2008

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EX-4.3

Exhibit 4.3

MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC.,

Issuer,

to

U.S. BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Trustee

INDENTURE

Dated as of November 26, 2008

Debt Securities

Reconciliation and Tie between
Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Trust Indenture Act”)
and Indenture

Trust Indenture Act Section	Indenture Section
Section 310(a)(1)		6.7
(a)(2)		6.7
(b)		6.8
Section 312(a)		7.1
(b)		7.2
(c)		7.2
Section 313(a)		7.3
(b)(2)		7.3
(c)		7.3
(d)		7.3
Section 314(a)		7.4
(c)(1)		1.2
(c)(2)		1.2
(e)		1.2
(f)		1.2
Section 316(a) (last sentence)		1.1
(a)(1)(A)		5.2, 5.12
(a)(1)(B)		5.13
(b)		5.8
Section 317(a)(1)		5.3
(a)(2)		5.4
(b)		10.3
Section 318(a)		1.8

Note:  This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of this Indenture.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION	1
Section 1.1 Definitions	1
Section 1.2 Compliance Certificates and Opinions	9
Section 1.3 Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee	10
Section 1.4 Acts of Holders	10
Section 1.5 Notices, etc. to Trustee and Company	12
Section 1.6 Notice to Holders of Securities; Waiver	12
Section 1.7 Language of Notices	13
Section 1.8 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act	13
Section 1.9 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents	13
Section 1.10 Successors and Assigns	13
Section 1.11 Separability Clause	13
Section 1.12 Benefits of Indenture	13
Section 1.13 Governing Law	13
Section 1.14 Legal Holidays	14
Section 1.15 Counterparts	14
Section 1.16 Judgment Currency	14
Section 1.17 No Security Interest Created	14
Section 1.18 Limitation on Individual Liability	15
ARTICLE 2 SECURITIES FORMS	15
Section 2.1 Forms Generally	15
Section 2.2 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication	15
Section 2.3 Securities in Global Form	16
ARTICLE 3 THE SECURITIES	17
Section 3.1 Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series	17
Section 3.2 Currency; Denominations	20
Section 3.3 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating	20
Section 3.4 Temporary Securities	22
Section 3.5 Registration, Transfer and Exchange	22
Section 3.6 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities	24
Section 3.7 Payment of Interest and Certain Additional Amounts; Rights to Interest and Certain Additional Amounts Preserved	25
Section 3.8 Persons Deemed Owners	26
Section 3.9 Cancellation	27
Section 3.10 Computation of Interest	27
ARTICLE 4 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE	27
Section 4.1 Satisfaction and Discharge	27
Section 4.2 Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance	28
Section 4.3 Application of Trust Money	32

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ARTICLE 5 REMEDIES	32
Section 5.1 Events of Default	32
Section 5.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment	33
Section 5.3 Collection of Debt and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee	34
Section 5.4 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim	35
Section 5.5 Trustee May Enforce Claims without Possession of Securities	36
Section 5.6 Application of Money Collected	36
Section 5.7 Limitations on Suits	37
Section 5.8 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and any Premium, Interest and Additional Amounts	37
Section 5.9 Restoration of Rights and Remedies	37
Section 5.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative	38
Section 5.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver	38
Section 5.12 Control by Holders of Securities	38
Section 5.13 Waiver of Past Defaults	38
Section 5.14 Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws	39
Section 5.15 Undertaking for Costs	39
ARTICLE 6 THE TRUSTEE	39
Section 6.1 Certain Rights of Trustee	39
Section 6.2 Notice of Defaults	41
Section 6.3 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities	41
Section 6.4 May Hold Securities	41
Section 6.5 Money Held in Trust	42
Section 6.6 Compensation and Reimbursement	42
Section 6.7 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility	43
Section 6.8 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor	43
Section 6.9 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor	44
Section 6.10 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business	46
Section 6.11 Appointment of Authenticating Agent	46
ARTICLE 7 HOLDERS LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY	47
Section 7.1 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders	47
Section 7.2 Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders	48
Section 7.3 Reports by Trustee	48
Section 7.4 Reports by Company; Rule 144A Information	48
ARTICLE 8 CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALES	49
Section 8.1 Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms	49
Section 8.2 Successor Person Substituted for Company	50
ARTICLE 9 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES	50
Section 9.1 Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Holders	50

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Section 9.2 Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders	51
Section 9.3 Execution of Supplemental Indentures	53
Section 9.4 Effect of Supplemental Indentures	53
Section 9.5 Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures	53
Section 9.6 Conformity with Trust Indenture Act	53
Section 9.7 Notice of Supplemental Indenture	53
ARTICLE 10 COVENANTS	53
Section 10.1 Payment of Principal, any Premium, Interest and Additional Amounts	53
Section 10.2 Maintenance of Office or Agency	54
Section 10.3 Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust	54
Section 10.4 Additional Amounts	55
Section 10.5 Legal Existence	56
Section 10.6 Waiver of Certain Covenants	56
Section 10.7 Company Statement as to Compliance; Notice of Certain Defaults	57
ARTICLE 11 REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES	57
Section 11.1 Applicability of Article	57
Section 11.2 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee	57
Section 11.3 Selection by Trustee of Securities to be Redeemed	57
Section 11.4 Notice of Redemption	58
Section 11.5 Deposit of Redemption Price	59
Section 11.6 Securities Payable on Redemption Date	59
Section 11.7 Securities Redeemed in Part	60
ARTICLE 12 SINKING FUNDS	60
Section 12.1 Applicability of Article	60
Section 12.2 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities	60
Section 12.3 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund	61
ARTICLE 13 REPAYMENT AT THE OPTION OF HOLDERS	61
Section 13.1 Applicability of Article	61
ARTICLE 14 SECURITIES IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES	62
Section 14.1 Applicability of Article	62
ARTICLE 15 MEETINGS OF HOLDERS OF SECURITIES	62
Section 15.1 Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called	62
Section 15.2 Call, Notice and Place of Meetings	62
Section 15.3 Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings	63
Section 15.4 Quorum; Action	63

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Section 15.5 Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meetings	63
Section 15.6 Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings	64

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     INDENTURE, dated as of November 26, 2008 (the “Indenture”), between MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Ohio (the “Company”), having its principal executive office located at an Ohio corporation, having its principal office at 3471 River Hills Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244, and U.S. Bank, National Association, a national banking organization (the “Trustee”), having its Corporate Trust Office located at 425 Walnut Street, 6^th Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

RECITALS

     The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (the “Securities”), unlimited as to principal amount, to bear such rates of interest, to mature at such time or times, to be issued in one or more series and to have such other provisions as shall be fixed as hereinafter provided.

     The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture. All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

     This Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder that are required to be part of this Indenture and, to the extent applicable, shall be governed by such provisions.

     NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

     For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders (as herein defined) thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of any series thereof as follows:

ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

Section 1.1 Definitions.

     Except as otherwise expressly provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or unless the context otherwise requires, for all purposes of this Indenture:

     (1) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article, and include the plural as well as the singular;

     (2) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;

     (3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “generally accepted

accounting principles” or “GAAP” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted in the United States of America at the date or time of such computation;

     (4) the words “herein,” “hereof,” “hereto” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision; and

     (5) the word “or” is always used inclusively (for example, the phrase “A or B” means “A or B or both,” not “either A or B but not both”).

     Certain terms used principally in certain Articles hereof are defined in those Articles.

     “Act,” when used with respect to any Holders, has the meaning specified in Section 1.4.

     “Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes, assessments or other governmental charges imposed on Holders specified therein and which are owing to such Holders.

     “Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control,” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have the meanings correlative to the foregoing.

     “Authenticating Agent” means any Person authorized by the Trustee pursuant to Section 6.11 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of one or more series.

     “Authorized Officer” means, when used with respect to the Company, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the President, Senior Vice President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company.

     “Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company or any committee of that board duly authorized to act generally or in any particular respect for the Company hereunder.

     “Board Resolution” means a copy of one or more resolutions, certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, delivered to the Trustee.

     “Business Day,” with respect to any Place of Payment or other location, means, unless otherwise specified with respect to any Securities pursuant to Section 3.1, any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banking institutions in such Place of Payment or other location are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to close.

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     “Clearstream” means Clearstream Banking, société anonyme, Luxembourg.

     “Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or, if at any time after the execution of this Indenture such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.

     “Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person, and any other obligor upon the Securities.

     “Company Order” or “Company Request” means, respectively, a written order or request, as the case may be, signed in the name of the Company by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the President, a Senior Vice President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.

     “Conversion Event” means the cessation of use of (i) a Foreign Currency both by the government of the country or the confederation which issued such Foreign Currency and for the settlement of transactions by a central bank or other public institutions of or within the international banking community, (ii) the Euro both within the EMU and for the settlement of transactions by public institutions of or within the EMU or (iii) any currency unit or composite currency other than the Euro for the purposes for which it was established.

     “Corporate Trust Office” means the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office at the date of original execution of this Indenture is located at 425 Walnut Street, 6^th Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202.

     “Corporation” includes corporations and limited liability companies and, except for purposes of Article 8, associations, companies and business trusts.

     “Currency,” with respect to any payment, deposit or other transfer in respect of the principal of or any premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Security, means Dollars or any Foreign Currency in which such payment, deposit or other transfer is required to be made by or pursuant to the terms hereof or such Security and, with respect to any other payment, deposit or transfer pursuant to or contemplated by the terms hereof or such Security, means Dollars.

     “CUSIP number” means the alphanumeric designation assigned to a Security by Standard & Poor’s Corporation, CUSIP Service Bureau.

     “Debt” means the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on, and all other obligations in respect of (a) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money (including all indebtedness evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or other securities), (b) all obligations incurred by such Person in the acquisition (whether by way of purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise and

3

whether by such Person or another Person) of any business, real property or other assets, (c) all reimbursement obligations of such Person with respect to letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances or similar facilities issued for the account of such Person, (d) all capital lease obligations of such Person, (e) all net obligations of such Person under interest rate swap, currency exchange or similar agreements of such Person, (f) all obligations and other liabilities, contingent or otherwise, under any lease or related document, including a purchase agreement, conditional sale or other title retention agreement, in connection with the lease of real property or improvements thereon (or any personal property included as part of any such lease) which provides that such Person is contractually obligated to purchase or cause a third party to purchase the leased property or pay an agreed-upon residual value of the leased property including such Person’s obligations under such lease or related document to purchase or cause a third party to purchase such leased property or pay an agreed-upon residual value of the leased property to the lessor, (g) guarantees by such Person of indebtedness described in clauses (a) through (f) of another Person, and (h) all renewals, extensions, refundings, deferrals, restructurings, amendments and modifications of any indebtedness, obligation, guarantee or liability of the kind described in clauses (a) through (g).

     “Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 3.7.

     “Depository” means, with respect to any Security issuable or issued in the form of one or more global Securities, the Person designated as Depository by the Company in or pursuant to this Indenture, which Person must be, to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, if so provided with respect to any Security, any successor to such Person. If at any time there is more than one such Person, “Depository” shall mean, with respect to any Securities, the qualifying entity which has been appointed with respect to such Securities.

     “Dollar” or “$” means a dollar or other equivalent unit of legal tender for payment of public or private debts in the United States of America.

     “EC Treaty” means the Treaty establishing the European Communities (signed in Rome on 25 March 1957), as amended by the Treaty on European Union, as amended (signed in Maastricht on 7 February 1992).

     “EMU” means European Economic and Monetary Union.

     “Euro” each means the lawful currency of the member states of the European Union that adopt the single currency in accordance with the EC Treaty.

     “Euroclear” means Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear System.

     “Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 5.1.

     “Exchange Act” means Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any reference herein to the Exchange Act or a particular provision thereof shall mean such Act or provision, as the case may be, as amended or replaced from time to time or as supplemented from time to time by rules or regulations adopted by the Commission under or in furtherance of the purposes of such Act or provision, as the case may be.

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     “Foreign Currency” means any currency, currency unit or composite currency, including, without limitation, the Euro, issued by the government of one or more countries other than the United States of America or by any recognized confederation or association of such governments.

     “Government Obligations” means securities which are (i) direct obligations of the United States of America or the other government or governments in the confederation which issued the Foreign Currency in which the principal of or any premium or interest on such Security or any Additional Amounts in respect thereof shall be payable, in each case where the payment or payments thereunder are supported by the full faith and credit of such government or governments or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America or such other government or governments, in each case where the timely payment or payments thereunder are unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America or such other government or governments, and which, in the case of (i) or (ii), are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer or issuers thereof, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of or other amount with respect to any such Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depositary receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of or other amount with respect to the Government Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.

     “Holder,” in the case of any Security, means the Person in whose name such Security is registered in the Security Register.

     “Indenture” means this instrument as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof and, with respect to any Security, by the terms and provisions of such Security established pursuant to Section 3.1 (as such terms and provisions may be amended pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof).

     “Indexed Security” means a Security the terms of which provide that the principal amount thereof payable at Stated Maturity may be more or less than the principal face amount thereof at original issuance.

     “Interest,” with respect to any Original Issue Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity and, when used with respect to a Security which provides for the payment of Additional Amounts pursuant to Section 10.4, includes such Additional Amounts.

     “Interest Payment Date,” with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.

     “Judgment Currency” has the meaning specified in Section 1.16.

     “Legal Holidays” has the meaning specified in Section 1.14.

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     “Lien” means and includes any mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest, conditional sale or other title retention agreement or other similar encumbrance.

     “Maturity,” with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, notice of redemption or repurchase, notice of option to elect repayment or otherwise, and includes the Redemption Date.

     “New York Banking Day” has the meaning specified in Section 1.16.

     “Office” or “Agency” with respect to any Securities, means an office or agency of the Company maintained or designated in a Place of Payment for such Securities pursuant to Section 10.2 or any other office or agency of the Company maintained or designated for such Securities pursuant to Section 10.2 or, to the extent designated or required by Section 10.2 in lieu of such office or agency, the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

     “Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the President, a Senior Vice President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, that complies with the requirements of Section 314(e) of the Trust Indenture Act and is delivered to the Trustee.

     “Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel for the Company or other counsel who shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, that, if required by the Trust Indenture Act, complies with the requirements of Section 314(e) of the Trust Indenture Act.

     “Original Issue Discount Security” means a Security issued pursuant to this Indenture which provides for declaration of an amount less than the principal face amount thereof to be due and payable upon acceleration pursuant to Section 5.2.

     “Outstanding,” when used with respect to any Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all such Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:

(a)

any such Security theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or the Security Registrar or delivered to the Trustee or the Security Registrar for cancellation;

(b)

any such Security for whose payment at the Maturity thereof money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited pursuant hereto (other than pursuant to Section 4.2 with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own trustee) for the Holders of such Securities, provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;

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(c)	any such Security with respect to which the Company has effected defeasance pursuant to the terms hereof, except to the extent provided in Section 4.2; and
(d)	any such Security which has been paid pursuant to Section 3.6 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, unless there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Security is held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Security is a valid obligation of the Company;

provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder or are present at a meeting of Holders of Securities for quorum purposes, (i) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that may be counted in making such determination and that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purposes shall be equal to the amount of the principal thereof that pursuant to the terms of such Original Issue Discount Security would be declared (or shall have been declared to be) due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration thereof pursuant to Section 5.2 at the time of such determination, and (ii) the principal amount of any Indexed Security that may be counted in making such determination and that shall be deemed Outstanding for such purposes shall be equal to the principal face amount of such Indexed Security at original issuance, unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, and (iii) the principal amount of a Security denominated in a Foreign Currency shall be the Dollar equivalent, determined on the date of original issuance of such Security, of the principal amount (or, in the case of an Original Issue Discount Security, the Dollar equivalent on the date of original issuance of such Security of the amount determined as provided in (i) above) of such Security, and (iv) Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor, shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in making any such determination or relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which shall have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee (A) the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and (B) that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or an Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor.

     “Paying Agent” means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the principal of, or any premium or interest on, or any Additional Amounts with respect to, any Security on behalf of the Company.

     “Person” means any individual, Corporation, partnership, association, joint venture, trust, or any other entity or organization, including government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.

     “Place of Payment,” with respect to any Security, means the place or places where the principal of, or any premium or interest on, or any Additional Amounts with respect to such Security are payable as provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or such Security.

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     “Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same Debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.6 in exchange for or in lieu of a lost, destroyed, mutilated or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same Debt as the lost, destroyed, mutilated or stolen Security.

     “Redemption Date,” with respect to any Security or portion thereof to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture or such Security.

     “Redemption Price,” with respect to any Security or portion thereof to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed as determined by or pursuant to this Indenture or such Security.

     “Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Security on any Interest Payment Date therefor means the date, if any, specified in or pursuant to this Indenture or such Security as the “Regular Record Date.”

     “Required Currency” has the meaning specified in Section 1.16.

     “Responsible Officer” means with respect to the Trustee any officer assigned by the Trustee to administer corporate trust matters and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

     “Securities Act” means Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any reference herein to the Securities Act or a particular provision thereof shall mean such Act or provision, as the case may be, as amended or replaced from time to time or as supplemented from time to time by rules or regulations adopted by the Commission under or in furtherance of the purposes of such Act or provision, as the case may be.

     “Security” or “Securities” means any note or notes, bond or bonds, debenture or debentures, or any other evidences of Debt, as the case may be, authenticated and delivered under this Indenture; provided, however, that, if at any time there is more than one Person acting as Trustee under this Indenture, “Securities,” with respect to any such Person, shall mean Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, exclusive, however, of Securities of any series as to which such Person is not Trustee.

     “Security Register” and “Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 3.5.

     “Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest on any Security means a date fixed by the Company pursuant to Section 3.7.

     “Stated Maturity,” with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon or any Additional Amounts with respect thereto, means the date established by or pursuant to this Indenture or such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is, or such Additional Amounts are, due and payable.

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     “Subsidiary” of any Person means any corporation, limited liability company or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of the equity interests entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof or any partnership of which more than 50% of the partnership interests (considering all general and limited partnership interests as a single class) is, in each case, at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person, one or more of the Subsidiaries of such Person, or combination thereof.

     “Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and any reference herein to the Trust Indenture Act or a particular provision thereof shall mean such Act or provision, as the case may be, as amended or replaced from time to time or as supplemented from time to time by rules or regulations adopted by the Commission under or in furtherance of the purposes of such Act or provision, as the case may be.

     “Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such with respect to one or more series of Securities pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder; provided, however, that if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” shall mean each such Person and as used with respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

     “United States,” except as otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or any Security, means the United States of America (including the states thereof and the District of Columbia), its territories and possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction.

     “U.S. Alien,” except as otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or any Security, means any Person who, for United States Federal income tax purposes, is a foreign corporation, a non-resident alien individual, a non-resident alien fiduciary of a foreign estate or trust, or a foreign partnership one or more of the members of which is, for United States Federal income tax purposes, a foreign corporation, a non-resident alien individual or a non-resident alien fiduciary of a foreign estate or trust.

     “Vice President,” when used with respect to the Company or the Trustee, means any vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “Vice President.”

Section 1.2 Compliance Certificates and Opinions.

     Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents or any of them is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

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     Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:

     (1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such condition or covenant and the definitions herein relating thereto;

     (2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

     (3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such condition or covenant has been complied with; and

     (4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

Section 1.3 Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.

     In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

     Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon an Opinion of Counsel, provided that such officer, after reasonable inquiry, has no reason to believe and does not believe that the Opinion of Counsel with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based is erroneous. Any such Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company provided that such counsel, after reasonable inquiry, has no reason to believe and does not believe that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

     Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture or any Security, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

Section 1.4 Acts of Holders.

     (1) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by or pursuant to this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments or record or both are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments and any such record (and the action embodied therein

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and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments or so voting at any such meeting. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent, or of the holding by any Person of a Security, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 315 of the Trust Indenture Act) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company and any agent of the Trustee or the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section. The record of any meeting of Holders of Securities shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 15.6.

     Without limiting the generality of this Section 1.4, unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, a Holder, including a Depository that is a Holder of a global Security, may make, give or take, by a proxy or proxies duly appointed in writing, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act provided in or pursuant to this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders, and a Depository that is a Holder of a global Security may provide its proxy or proxies to the beneficial owners of interests in any such global Security through such Depository’s standing instructions and customary practices.

     The Company shall fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Persons who are beneficial owners of interest in any permanent global Security held by a Depository entitled under the procedures of such Depository to make, give or take, by a proxy or proxies duly appointed in writing, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act provided in or pursuant to this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders. If such a record date is fixed, the Holders on such record date or their duly appointed proxy or proxies, and only such Persons, shall be entitled to make, give or take such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date. No such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act shall be valid or effective if made, given or taken more than 90 days after such record date.

     (2) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing referred to in this Section 1.4 may be proved in any reasonable manner; and the Trustee may in any instance reasonably require further proof with respect to any of the matters referred to in this Section.

     (3) The ownership, principal amount and serial numbers of Securities held by any Person, and the date of the commencement and the date of the termination of holding the same, shall be proved by the Security Register.

     (4) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders of any Securities any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may at its option (but is not obligated to), by Board Resolution fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders of Securities entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of Securities of record at the close of business on such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purpose of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding Securities have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that

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purpose the Outstanding Securities shall be computed as of such record date; provided that no such authorization, agreement or consent by the Holders of Securities shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six months after the record date.

     (5) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act by the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done or suffered to be done by the Trustee, any Security Registrar, any Paying Agent or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such Act is made upon such Security.

Section 1.5 Notices, etc. to Trustee and Company.

     Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,

     (1) the Trustee by any Holder or the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing and delivered in person or mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, or

     (2) the Company by the Trustee or any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Company, addressed to the attention of its Treasurer, with a copy to the attention of its General Counsel, at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.

Section 1.6 Notice to Holders of Securities; Waiver.

     Except as otherwise expressly provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of Securities of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given to Holders of Securities if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of a Security affected by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice.

     In any case where notice to Holders of Securities is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder of a Security shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders of Securities. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given or provided. In the case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.

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     Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders of Securities shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

Section 1.7 Language of Notices.

     Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election or waiver required or permitted under this Indenture shall be in the English language, except that, if the Company so elects, any published notice may be in an official language of the country of publication.

Section 1.8 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.

     If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with any duties under any required provision of the Trust Indenture Act, such required provision shall control.

Section 1.9 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.

     The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

Section 1.10 Successors and Assigns.

     All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

Section 1.11 Separability Clause.

     In case any provision in this Indenture or any Security shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 1.12 Benefits of Indenture.

     Nothing in this Indenture or any Security, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Security Registrar, any Paying Agent, any Authenticating Agent and their successors hereunder and the Holders of Securities, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

Section 1.13 Governing Law.

     This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made or instruments entered into and, in each case, performed in said state.

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Section 1.14 Legal Holidays.

     Unless otherwise specified in or pursuant to this Indenture or any Securities, in any case where any Interest Payment Date, Stated Maturity or Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security other than a provision in any Security that specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu hereof) payment need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but such payment may be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or at the Stated Maturity or Maturity, and no interest shall accrue on the amount payable on such date or at such time for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Stated Maturity or Maturity, as the case may be, to such next succeeding Business Day.

Section 1.15 Counterparts.

     This Indenture may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be an original and all of which shall constitute but one and the same instrument.

Section 1.16 Judgment Currency.

     The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of, or premium or interest, if any, or Additional Amounts on the Securities of any series (the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the requisite amount of the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the New York Banking Day preceding the day on which a final unappealable judgment is given and (b) their respective obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender, or any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with clause (a)), in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture. For purposes of the foregoing, “New York Banking Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to be closed.

Section 1.17 No Security Interest Created.

     Subject to the provisions of Section 10.5, except as may otherwise be provided pursuant to Section 3.1 with respect to Securities of any series, nothing in this Indenture or in any Securities, express or implied, shall be construed to constitute a security interest under the

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Uniform Commercial Code or similar legislation, as now or hereafter enacted and in effect in any jurisdiction where property of the Company is or may be located.

Section 1.18 Limitation on Individual Liability.

     No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture or in any Security, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, shall be had against any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company, either directly or through the Company, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that this Indenture and the obligations issued hereunder are solely corporate obligations, and that no such personal liability whatever shall attach to, or is or shall be incurred by, the incorporators, shareholders, officers or directors, as such, of the Company, or any of them, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any Security or implied therefrom; and that any and all such personal liability of every name and nature, either at common law or in equity or by constitution or statute, of, and any and all such rights and claims against, every such incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, as such, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any Security or implied therefrom, are hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of such Security.

ARTICLE 2
SECURITIES FORMS

Section 2.1 Forms Generally.

     Each Security issued pursuant to this Indenture shall be in the form established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, shall have such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by or pursuant to this Indenture or any indenture supplemental hereto and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Security as evidenced by their execution of such Security.

     Unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or any Securities, the Securities shall be issuable in registered form without coupons and shall not be issuable upon the exercise of warrants.

     Definitive Securities shall be printed in any such manner as determined by the officers of the Company executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

Section 2.2 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.

     Subject to Section 6.11, the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:

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     This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

		,
	as Trustee
By:
	Authorized Signatory

Section 2.3 Securities in Global Form.

     Unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or any Securities, the Securities shall be issuable in temporary or permanent global form. If Securities of a series shall be issuable in global form, any such Security may provide that it or any number of such Securities shall represent the aggregate amount of all Outstanding Securities of such series (or such lesser amount as is permitted by the terms thereof) from time to time endorsed thereon and may also provide that the aggregate amount of Outstanding Securities represented thereby may from time to time be increased or reduced to reflect exchanges. Any endorsement of any Security in global form to reflect the amount, or any increase or decrease in the amount, or changes in the rights of Holders, of Outstanding Securities represented thereby shall be made in such manner and by such Person or Persons as shall be specified therein or in the Company Order to be delivered pursuant to Section 3.3 or 3.4 with respect thereto. Subject to the provisions of Section 3.3 and, if applicable, Section 3.4, the Trustee shall deliver and redeliver, in each case at the Company’s expense, any Security in permanent global form in the manner and upon instructions given by the Person or Persons specified therein or in the applicable Company Order. If a Company Order pursuant to Section 3.3 or 3.4 has been, or simultaneously is, delivered, any instructions by the Company with respect to a Security in global form shall be in writing but need not be accompanied by or contained in an Officers’ Certificate and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel.

     Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.7, unless otherwise specified in or pursuant to this Indenture or any Securities, payment of principal of, any premium and interest on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, any Security in temporary or permanent global form shall be made to the Person or Persons specified therein.

     Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.8 and except as provided in the preceding paragraph, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall treat as the Holder of such principal amount of Outstanding Securities represented by a global Security (i) in the case of a global Security in registered form, the Holder of such global Security in registered form, or (ii) in the case of a global Security in bearer form, the Person or Persons specified pursuant to Section 3.1.

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ARTICLE 3
THE SECURITIES

Section 3.1 Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.

     The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more series.

     With respect to any Securities to be authenticated and delivered hereunder, there shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto,

     (1) the title of such Securities and the series in which such Securities shall be included;

     (2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such title or the Securities of such series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of such series pursuant to Section 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 9.5 or 11.7 or upon repayment in part of any Security of such series pursuant to Article 13);

     (3) if any of such Securities are to be issuable in global form, when any of such Securities are to be issuable in global form and (i) whether such Securities are to be issued in temporary or permanent global form or both, (ii) whether beneficial owners of interests in any such global Security may exchange such interests for Securities of the same series and of like tenor and of any authorized form and denomination, and the circumstances under which any such exchanges may occur, if other than in the manner specified in Section 3.5, and (iii) the name of the Depository with respect to any such global Security;

     (4) the date as of which any global Security shall be dated (if other than the date of original issuance of the first of such Securities to be issued);

     (5) the date or dates, or the method or methods, if any, by which such date or dates shall be determined, on which the principal of such Securities is payable;

     (6) the rate or rates at which such Securities shall bear interest, if any, or the method or methods, if any, by which such rate or rates are to be determined, the date or dates, if any, from which such interest shall accrue or the method or methods, if any, by which such date or dates are to be determined, the Interest Payment Dates, if any, on which such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date, if any, for the interest payable on Securities on any Interest Payment Date, whether and under what circumstances Additional Amounts on such Securities or any of them shall be payable, the notice, if any, to Holders regarding the determination of interest on a floating rate Security and the manner of giving such notice, and the basis upon which interest shall be calculated if other than that of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months;

     (7) the place or places where the principal of, any premium and interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to such Securities shall be payable, any of such Securities that

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are Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, any of such Securities may be surrendered for conversion or exchange and notices or demands to or upon the Company in respect of such Securities and this Indenture may be served, the extent to which, or the manner in which, any interest payment or Additional Amounts on a global Security on an Interest Payment Date, will be paid and the manner in which any principal of or premium, if any, on any global Security will be paid;

     (8) whether any of such Securities are to be redeemable at the option of the Company and, if so, the date or dates on which, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the other terms and conditions upon which such Securities may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

     (9) whether the Company is obligated to redeem or purchase any of such Securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provision or at the option of any Holder thereof and, if so, the date or dates on which, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the other terms and conditions upon which such Securities shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation, and any provisions for the remarketing of such Securities so redeemed or purchased;

     (10) the denominations in which any of such Securities shall be issuable if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;

     (11) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of any of such Securities that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.2 or the method by which such portion is to be determined;

     (12) if other than Dollars, the Foreign Currency in which payment of the principal of, any premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any of such Securities shall be payable;

     (13) if the principal of, any premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any of such Securities are to be payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof or otherwise, in Dollars or in a Foreign Currency other than that in which such Securities are stated to be payable, the date or dates on which, the period or periods within which, and the other terms and conditions upon which, such election may be made, and the time and manner of determining the exchange rate between the Currency in which such Securities are stated to be payable and the Currency in which such Securities or any of them are to be paid pursuant to such election, and any deletions from or modifications of or additions to the terms of this Indenture to provide for or to facilitate the issuance of Securities denominated or payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof or otherwise, in a Foreign Currency;

     (14) whether the amount of payments of principal of, any premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to such Securities may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method or methods (which index, formula or method or methods may be based, without limitation, on one or more Currencies, commodities, equity securities, equity indices or other indices), and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which and the manner in which such amounts shall be determined and paid or payable;

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     (15) any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the Events of Default or covenants of the Company with respect to any of such Securities, whether or not such Events of Default or covenants are consistent with the Events of Default or covenants set forth herein;

     (16) whether either or both of Section 4.2(2) relating to defeasance or Section 4.2(3) relating to covenant defeasance shall not be applicable to the Securities of such series, or any covenants in addition to those specified in Section 4.2(3) relating to the Securities of such series which shall be subject to covenant of defeasance, and any deletions from, or modifications or additions to, the provisions of Article 4 in respect of the Securities of such series;

     (17) whether any of such Securities are to be issuable upon the exercise of warrants, and the time, manner and place for such Securities to be authenticated and delivered;

     (18) if any of such Securities are to be issuable in global form and are to be issuable in definitive form (whether upon original issue or upon exchange of a temporary Security) only upon receipt of certain certificates or other documents or satisfaction of other conditions, then the form and terms of such certificates, documents or conditions;

     (19) if there is more than one Trustee, the identity of the Trustee and, if not the Trustee, the identity of each Security Registrar, Paying Agent or Authenticating Agent with respect to such Securities;

     (20) any transfer restrictions applicable to the Securities of the series;

     (21) any provisions regarding convertibility or exchangeability of the series;

     (22) whether such Securities are senior or subordinated indebtedness, and any related provisions (including, if applicable, the subordinate provisions relating to the Securities);

     (23) if such Securities are secured indebtedness, the provisions relating thereto; and

     (24) any other terms of such Securities and any other deletions from or modifications or additions to this Indenture in respect of such Securities.

     All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as may otherwise be provided by the Company in or pursuant to the Board Resolution and set forth in the Officers’ Certificate or in any indenture or indentures supplemental hereto pertaining to such series of Securities. The terms of the Securities of any series may provide, without limitation, that the Securities shall be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee on original issue from time to time upon written order of persons designated in the Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture and that such persons are authorized to determine, consistent with such Officers’ Certificate or any applicable supplemental indenture, such terms and conditions of the Securities of such series as are specified in such Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture. All Securities of any one series need not be issued at the same time and, unless otherwise so provided, a series may be reopened for issuances of additional Securities of such series or to establish additional terms of such series of Securities.

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     If any of the terms of the Securities of any series shall be established by action taken by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, the Board Resolution shall be delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officers’ Certificate setting forth the terms of such series.

Section 3.2 Currency; Denominations.

     Unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, the principal of, any premium and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities shall be payable in Dollars. Unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, Securities denominated in Dollars shall be issuable in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. Securities not denominated in Dollars shall be issuable in such denominations as are established with respect to such Securities in or pursuant to this Indenture.

Section 3.3 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.

     Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company and attested by its Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries. The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.

     Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of original issuance of such Securities.

     At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication and, provided that the Board Resolution and Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture or indentures with respect to such Securities referred to in Section 3.1 and a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities have been delivered to the Trustee, the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order and subject to the provisions hereof and of such Securities shall authenticate and deliver such Securities. In authenticating such Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Sections 315(a) through 315(d) of the Trust Indenture Act) shall be fully protected in relying upon,

     (1) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that:

     (a) the form or forms and terms of such Securities have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;

     (b) all conditions precedent to the authentication and delivery of such Securities have been complied with and that such Securities, when completed by appropriate insertions, executed and attested by duly authorized officers of the Company, delivered by duly authorized officers of the Company to the Trustee for authentication pursuant to this Indenture, and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute legally valid and binding obligations of the Company,

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enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement thereof may be subject to or limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at law) and will entitle the Holders thereof to the benefits of this Indenture; such Opinion of Counsel need express no opinion as to the availability of equitable remedies; and

     (c) all laws and requirements in respect of the execution and delivery by the Company of such Securities have been complied with;

and, to the extent that this Indenture is required to be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act in connection with the issuance of such Securities, to the further effect that:

     (d) this Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act; and

     (2) an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent to the execution, authentication and delivery of such Securities have been complied with and that, to the best knowledge of the Persons executing such certificate, no event which is, or after notice or lapse of time would become, an Event of Default with respect to any of the Securities shall have occurred and be continuing.

     If all the Securities of any series are not to be issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver an Opinion of Counsel and an Officers’ Certificate at the time of issuance of each Security, but such opinion and certificate, with appropriate modifications, shall be delivered at or before the time of issuance of the first Security of such series. After any such first delivery, any separate written request by an Authorized Officer of the Company that the Trustee authenticate and deliver Securities of such series for original issue will be deemed to be a certification by the Company that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture relating to authentication and delivery of such Securities continue to have been complied with.

     The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate or to cause an Authenticating Agent to authenticate any Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities, as Trustee under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee or if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken.

     Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

     No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for in Section 2.2 or 6.11 executed by or on behalf of the Trustee or by the Authenticating Agent by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers. Such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder.

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Section 3.4 Temporary Securities.

     Pending the preparation of definitive Securities, the Company may execute and deliver to the Trustee and, upon Company Order, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the manner provided in Section 3.3, temporary Securities in lieu thereof which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, in registered form or, if authorized in or pursuant to this Indenture, in bearer form with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers of the Company executing such Securities may determine, as conclusively evidenced by their execution of such Securities. Such temporary Securities may be in global form.

     Except in the case of temporary Securities in global form, which shall be exchanged in accordance with the provisions thereof, if temporary Securities are issued, the Company shall cause definitive Securities to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of the same series and containing terms and provisions that are identical to those of any temporary Securities, such temporary Securities shall be exchangeable for such definitive Securities upon surrender of such temporary Securities at an Office or Agency for such Securities, without charge to any Holder thereof. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of authorized denominations of the same series and containing identical terms and provisions. Unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture with respect to a temporary global Security, until so exchanged the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series.

Section 3.5 Registration, Transfer and Exchange.

     With respect to the Securities of each series, if any, the Company shall cause to be kept a register (each such register being herein sometimes referred to as the “Security Register”) at an Office or Agency for such series in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of the Securities of such series and of transfers of the Securities of such series. Such Office or Agency shall be the “Security Registrar” for that series of Securities. Unless otherwise specified in or pursuant to this Indenture or the Securities, the Trustee shall be the initial Security Registrar for each series of Securities. The Company shall have the right to remove and replace from time to time the Security Registrar for any series of Securities; provided that no such removal or replacement shall be effective until a successor Security Registrar with respect to such series of Securities shall have been appointed by the Company and shall have accepted such appointment by the Company. In the event that the Trustee shall not be or shall cease to be Security Registrar with respect to a series of Securities, it shall have the right to examine the Security Register for such series at all reasonable times. There shall be only one Security Register for each series of Securities.

     Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of any series at any Office or Agency for such series, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series denominated as authorized in or pursuant to this Indenture, of a like aggregate

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principal amount bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding and containing identical terms and provisions.

     At the option of the Holder, Securities of any series may be exchanged for other Securities of the same series containing identical terms and provisions, in any authorized denominations, and of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at any Office or Agency for such series. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

     Except as otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, any global Security in a series shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities of such series only if (i) the Depository is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depository or if the Depositary ceases to be eligible under this Indenture and a successor depository is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of the date the Company is so informed in writing, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee a Company Order to the effect that such global Security shall be so exchangeable, or (iii) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to the Securities and the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series have requested definitive Securities. If the beneficial owners of interests in a global Security are entitled to exchange such interests for definitive Securities as the result of an event described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of the preceding sentence, then without unnecessary delay but in any event not later than the earliest date on which such interests may be so exchanged, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee definitive Securities in such form and denominations as are required by or pursuant to this Indenture, and of the same series, containing identical terms and in aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of such global Security, executed by the Company. On or after the earliest date on which such interests may be so exchanged, such global Security shall be surrendered from time to time by the Depository as shall be specified in the Company Order with respect thereto, and in accordance with instructions given to the Trustee and the Depository, as the case may be (which instructions shall be in writing but need not be contained in or accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate or be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel), as shall be specified in the Company Order with respect thereto to the Trustee, as the Company’s agent for such purpose, to be exchanged, in whole or in part, for definitive Securities as described above without charge. The Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in exchange for each portion of such surrendered global Security, a like aggregate principal amount of definitive Securities of the same series of authorized denominations and of like tenor as the portion of such global Security to be exchanged; provided, however, that no such exchanges may occur during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before any selection of Securities of the same series to be redeemed and ending on the relevant Redemption Date. Promptly following any such exchange in part, such global Security shall be returned by the Trustee to such Depository, or such other Depository referred to above in accordance with the instructions of the Company referred to above. If a Security is issued in exchange for any portion of a global Security after the close of business at the Office or Agency for such Security where such exchange occurs on or after (i) any Regular Record Date for such Security and before the opening of business at such Office or Agency on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, or (ii) any Special Record Date for such Security and before the opening of business at such Office or Agency on the related proposed date for payment of interest or Defaulted Interest, as the case may be, interest shall not be payable on such Interest Payment

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Date or proposed date for payment, as the case may be, in respect of such Security, but shall be payable on such Interest Payment Date or proposed date for payment, as the case may be, only to the Person to whom interest in respect of such portion of such global Security shall be payable in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.

     All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company evidencing the same debt and entitling the Holders thereof to the same benefits under this Indenture as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

     Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange or redemption shall (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar for such Security) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar for such Security duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

     No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange, or redemption of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge and any other expenses (including fees and expenses of the Trustee) that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 3.4, 9.5 or 11.7 not involving any transfer.

     Except as otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, the Company shall not be required (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Securities during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the selection for redemption of Securities of like tenor and the same series under Section 11.3 and ending at the close of business on the day of such selection, or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except in the case of any Security to be redeemed in part, the portion thereof not to be redeemed, or (iii) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Security which, in accordance with its terms, has been surrendered for repayment at the option of the Holder, except the portion, if any, of such Security not to be so repaid.

Section 3.6 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

     If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 3.6, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same series containing identical terms and of like principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

     If there be delivered to the Company and to the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security, and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee of any adverse claim or that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and, upon the Company’s request the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in exchange for or in lieu of any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series containing

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identical terms and of like principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

     Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.6, in case any mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

     Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section 3.6, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

     Every new Security issued pursuant to this Section 3.6 in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute a separate obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of such series duly issued hereunder.

     The provisions of this Section 3.6, as amended or supplemented pursuant to this Indenture with respect to particular Securities or generally, shall be exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

Section 3.7 Payment of Interest and Certain Additional Amounts; Rights to Interest and Certain Additional Amounts Preserved.

     Unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, any interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to any Security which shall be payable, and are punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered as of the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.

     Unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, any interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to any Security which shall be payable, but shall not be punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for such Security (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder thereof on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder; and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (1) or (2) below:

     (1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Person in whose name such Security (or a Predecessor Security thereof) shall be registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed by the Company in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on such Security, the Special Record Date therefor and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit on or prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when so deposited to

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be held in trust for the benefit of the Person entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this Clause provided. The Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after notification to the Trustee of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall, in the name and at the expense of the Company, cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Holder of such Security (or a Predecessor Security thereof) at his address as it appears in the Security Register not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date.

     (2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Security may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this Clause, such payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

     Unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or the Securities of any particular series pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, at the option of the Company, interest on Securities that bear interest may be paid by mailing a check to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or by transfer to an account maintained by the payee with a bank located in the United States.

     Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section and Section 3.5, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

Section 3.8 Persons Deemed Owners.

     Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered in the Security Register as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of any premium and (subject to Section 3.5 and 3.7) interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not any payment with respect to such Security shall be overdue, and none of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company, or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

     No Holder of any beneficial interest in any global Security held on its behalf by a Depository shall have any rights under this Indenture with respect to such global Security, and such Depository may be treated by the Company, the Trustee, and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the owner of such global Security for all purposes whatsoever. None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Security Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a global Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

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Section 3.9 Cancellation.

     All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer, exchange or conversion or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee, and any such Securities, as well as Securities surrendered directly to the Trustee for any such purpose, shall be cancelled promptly by the Trustee. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Securities so delivered shall be cancelled promptly by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by or pursuant to this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be destroyed by the Trustee, unless by a Company Order, the Company directs their return to it.

Section 3.10 Computation of Interest.

     Except as otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or in any Security, interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

ARTICLE 4
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE

Section 4.1 Satisfaction and Discharge.

     Upon the direction of the Company by a Company Order, this Indenture shall cease to be of further effect with respect to any series of Securities specified in such Company Order, and the Trustee, on receipt of a Company Order, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as to such series, when

     (1) either

     (a) all Securities of such series theretofore authenticated and delivered, except lost or stolen or destroyed or debt securities of that series that have been replaced or paid and debt securities of that series for whose payment money has been deposited in trust and thereafter repaid to us have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

     (b) all Securities of such series thereto not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation

     (i) have become due and payable, or

     (ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or

     (iii) if redeemable at the option of the Company, are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company,

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and the Company, in the case of (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for such purpose, money in the Currency in which such Securities are payable in an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including the principal of, any premium and interest on, and any Additional Amounts with respect to such Securities, to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Maturity thereof, as the case may be;

     (2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company with respect to the Outstanding Securities of such series; and

     (3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as to such series have been complied with.

     In the event there are Securities of two or more series hereunder, the Trustee shall be required to execute an instrument acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture only if requested to do so with respect to Securities of such series as to which it is Trustee and if the other conditions thereto are met.

     Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to any series of Securities, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 6.6 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (1)(b) of this Section, the obligations of the Company and the Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series under Sections 3.5, 3.6, 4.3, 10.2 and 10.3, with respect to the payment of Additional Amounts, if any, with respect to such Securities as contemplated by Section 10.4 (but only to the extent that the Additional Amounts payable with respect to such Securities exceed the amount deposited in respect of such Additional Amounts pursuant to Section 4.1(1)(b)) shall survive.

Section 4.2 Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance.

     (1) Unless pursuant to Section 3.1, either or both of (i) defeasance of the Securities of or within a series under Section 4.2(2) shall not be applicable with respect to the Securities of such series or (ii) covenant defeasance of the Securities of or within a series under Section 4.2(3) shall not be applicable with respect to the Securities of such series, then such provisions, together with the other provisions of this Section 4.2 (with such modifications thereto as may be specified pursuant to Section 3.1 with respect to any Securities), shall be applicable to such Securities, and the Company may at its option by Board Resolution, at any time, with respect to such Securities, elect to have Section 4.2(2) or Section 4.2(3) be applied to such Outstanding Securities upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Section 4.2.

     (2) Upon the Company’s exercise of the above option applicable to this Section 4.2(2) with respect to any Securities of or within a series, the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to such Outstanding Securities on the date the conditions set forth in Section 4.2(4) are satisfied (hereinafter, “defeasance”). For this purpose, such defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire

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Debt represented by such Outstanding Securities, which shall thereafter be deemed to be “Outstanding” only for the purposes of Section 4.2(5) and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) below, and to have satisfied all of its other obligations under such Securities, and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (i) the rights of Holders of such Outstanding Securities to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 4.2(4) and as more fully set forth in such clause, payments in respect of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on, and Additional Amounts, if any, with respect to, such Securities when such payments are due, (ii) the obligations of the Company and the Trustee with respect to such Securities under Sections 3.5, 3.6, 6.6, 10.2 and 10.3 and with respect to the payment of Additional Amounts, if any, on such Securities as contemplated by Section 10.4 (but only to the extent that the Additional Amounts payable with respect to such Securities exceed the amount deposited in respect of such Additional Amounts pursuant to Section 4.2(4)(a) below), (iii) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and (iv) this Section 4.2. The Company may exercise its option under this Section 4.2(2) notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 4.2(3) with respect to such Securities.

     (3) Upon the Company’s exercise of the option to have this Section 4.2(3) apply with respect to any Securities of or within a series, the Company shall be released from its obligations under Section 10.5 and, to the extent specified pursuant to any indenture supplement, any other covenant applicable to such Securities, with respect to such Outstanding Securities on and after the date the conditions set forth in clause (4) of this Section 4.2 are satisfied (hereinafter, “covenant defeasance”), and such Securities shall thereafter be deemed to be not “Outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or Act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with any such covenant, but shall continue to be deemed “Outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder. For this purpose, such covenant defeasance means that, with respect to such Outstanding Securities, the Company may omit to comply with, and shall have no liability in respect of, any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such Section or such other covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such Section or such other covenant or by reason of reference in any such Section or such other covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a default or an Event of Default under Section 5.1(4) or 5.1(7) or otherwise, as the case may be, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities shall be unaffected thereby.

     (4) The following shall be the conditions to application of Section 4.2(2) or Section 4.2(3) to any Outstanding Securities of or within a series:

     (a) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 6.7 who shall agree to comply with the provisions of this Section 4.2 applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, (1) an amount in Dollars or in such Foreign Currency in which such Securities are then specified as

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payable at Stated Maturity, or (2) Government Obligations applicable to such Securities (determined on the basis of the Currency in which such Securities are then specified as payable at Stated Maturity) which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such Securities, money in an amount, or (3) a combination thereof, in any case, in an amount, sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of such principal and interest, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, (y) the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such Outstanding Securities at the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or premium or interest and (z) any mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments applicable to such Outstanding Securities on the days on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and of such Securities.

     (b) Such defeasance or covenant defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.

     (c) No Event of Default or event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default with respect to such Securities shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of establishment of such trust and, with respect to defeasance only, at any time during the period ending on the 91st day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period).

     (d) In the case of an election under clause (2) of this Section 4.2, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (i) the Company has received from the Internal Revenue Service a letter ruling, or there has been published by the Internal Revenue Service a Revenue Ruling, or (ii) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of such Outstanding Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such defeasance had not occurred.

     (e) In the case of an election under clause (3) of this Section 4.2, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of such Outstanding Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such covenant defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such covenant defeasance had not occurred.

     (f) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that, after the 91st day after the date of establishment of such trust, all money and Government Obligations (or other property as may be provided pursuant to Section 3.1) (including the proceeds thereof) deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee

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(or other qualifying trustee) pursuant to Section 4.2(4) to be held in trust will not be subject to any case or proceeding (whether voluntary or involuntary) in respect of the Company under any Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law, or any decree or order for relief in respect of the Company issued in connection therewith.

     (g) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent to the defeasance or covenant defeasance under Section 4.2(2) or Section 4.2(3) (as the case may be) have been complied with.

     (h) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section 4.2(4), such defeasance or covenant defeasance shall be effected in compliance with any additional or substitute terms, conditions or limitations which may be imposed on the Company in connection therewith pursuant to Section 3.1.

     (5) Unless otherwise specified in or pursuant to this Indenture or any Security, if, after a deposit referred to in Section 4.2(4)(a) has been made, (a) the Holder of a Security in respect of which such deposit was made is entitled to, and does, elect pursuant to Section 3.1 or the terms of such Security to receive payment in a Currency other than that in which the deposit pursuant to Section 4.2(4)(a) has been made in respect of such Security, or (b) a Conversion Event occurs in respect of the Foreign Currency in which the deposit pursuant to Section 4.2(4)(a) has been made, the indebtedness represented by such Security shall be deemed to have been, and will be, fully discharged and satisfied through the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any), and interest, if any, on, and Additional Amounts, if any, with respect to, such Security as the same becomes due out of the proceeds yielded by converting (from time to time as specified below in the case of any such election) the amount or other property deposited in respect of such Security into the Currency in which such Security becomes payable as a result of such election or Conversion Event based on (x) in the case of payments made pursuant to clause (a) above, the applicable market exchange rate for such Currency in effect on the second Business Day prior to each payment date, or (y) with respect to a Conversion Event, the applicable market exchange rate for such Foreign Currency in effect (as nearly as feasible) at the time of the Conversion Event. The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of Section 4.3, the “Trustee”) against any tax, fee or other charge, imposed on or assessed against the Government Obligations deposited pursuant to this Section 4.2 or the principal or interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of such Outstanding Securities.

     Anything in this Section 4.2 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request, any money or Government Obligations (or other property and any proceeds therefrom) held by it as provided in clause (4) of this Section 4.2 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect a defeasance or covenant defeasance, as applicable, in accordance with this Section 4.2.

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Section 4.3 Application of Trust Money.

     Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 10.3, all money and Government Obligations (or other property as may be provided pursuant to Section 3.1) (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.1 or 4.2 in respect of any Outstanding Securities of any series shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal (and premium, if any) and interest and Additional Amounts, if any; but such money and Government Obligations need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

ARTICLE 5

REMEDIES

Section 5.1 Events of Default.

     “Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any series means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body), unless such event is specifically deleted or modified in or pursuant to the supplemental indenture, Board Resolution or Officers’ Certificate establishing the terms of such series pursuant to this Indenture:

     (1) default in the payment of any interest on any Security of such series, or any Additional Amounts payable with respect thereto, when such interest becomes or such Additional Amounts become due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days;

     (2) default in the payment of the principal of or any premium on any Security of such series, or any Additional Amounts payable with respect thereto, when such principal or premium becomes or such Additional Amounts become due and payable at their Maturity;

     (3) default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when and as due by the terms of a Security of such series;

     (4) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture or the Securities (other than a covenant or warranty a default in the performance or the breach of which is elsewhere in this Indenture specifically dealt with or which has been expressly included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of a series of Securities other than such series), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default”;

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     (5) the entry by a court having competent jurisdiction of:

     (a) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days;

     (b) a decree or order adjudging the Company to be insolvent, or approving a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of the Company, and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or

     (c) a final and non-appealable order appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee or other similar official of the Company, or of any substantial part of the property of the Company, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of the affairs of the Company.

     (6) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of a voluntary proceeding seeking to be adjudicated insolvent or the consent by the Company to the entry of a decree or order for relief in an involuntary proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any insolvency proceedings against it, or the filing by the Company of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of the Company or relief under any applicable law, or the consent by the Company to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee or similar official of the Company or any substantial part of the property of the Company, or the making by the Company of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the taking of corporate action by the Company in furtherance of any such action; or

     (7) any other Event of Default provided in or pursuant to this Indenture with respect to Securities of such series.

Section 5.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.

     If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding (other than an Event of Default with respect to the Company specified in Section 5.1(5) or Section 5.1(6) occurs and is continuing, then the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series may declare the principal of all the Securities of such series, or such lesser amount as may be provided for in the Securities of such series, to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by the Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal or such lesser amount shall become immediately due and payable.

     If an Event of Default with respect to the Company specified in Section 5.1(6) or Section 5.1(7) occurs, all unpaid principal of and accrued interest on the Outstanding Securities of that series (or such lesser amount as may be provided for in the Securities of such series) shall ipso

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facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder of any Security of that series.

     At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to the Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, by written notice to the Company, and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if

     (1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum of money sufficient to pay

     (a) all overdue installments of any interest on and Additional Amounts with respect to all Securities of such series,

     (b) the principal of and any premium on any Securities of such series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon and any Additional Amounts with respect thereto at the rate or rates borne by or provided for in such Securities,

     (c) to the extent that payment of such interest or Additional Amounts is lawful, interest upon overdue installments of any interest and Additional Amounts at the rate or rates borne by or provided for in such Securities, and

     (d) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.6; and

     (2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of such series, other than the non-payment of the principal of, any premium and interest on, and any Additional Amounts with respect to Securities of such series which shall have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, shall have been cured or waived as provided in Section 5.13.

     No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 5.3 Collection of Debt and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.

     The Company covenants that if

     (1) default is made in the payment of any installment of interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Security when such interest or Additional Amounts shall have become due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or

     (2) default is made in the payment of the principal of or any premium on any Security or any Additional Amounts with respect thereto at their Maturity, the Company shall, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount of money then due and payable with respect to such Securities, with interest upon

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the overdue principal, any premium and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, upon any overdue installments of interest and Additional Amounts at the rate or rates borne by or provided for in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount of money as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel and all other amounts due to the Trustee under Section 6.6.

     If the Company fails to pay the money it is required to pay the Trustee pursuant to the preceding paragraph forthwith upon the demand of the Trustee, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the money so due and unpaid, and may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the monies adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.

     If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or such Securities or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein or therein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

Section 5.4 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

     In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities of any series or the property of the Company or such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of any overdue principal, premium, interest or Additional Amounts) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

     (1) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount, or such lesser amount as may be provided for in the Securities of any applicable series, of the principal and any premium, interest and Additional Amounts owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents or counsel) and of the Holders of Securities allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

     (2) to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder of Securities to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such

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payments directly to the Holders of Securities, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.6.

     Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder of a Security any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder of a Security in any such proceeding.

Section 5.5 Trustee May Enforce Claims without Possession of Securities.

     All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or any of the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery or judgment, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, shall be for the ratable benefit of each and every Holder of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

Section 5.6 Application of Money Collected.

     Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall, unless otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.1, be applied in the following order with respect to the Securities of such series, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal, or any premium, interest or Additional Amounts, upon presentation of the Securities of the applicable series and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee under Section 6.6;

SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon the Securities of the applicable series for principal and any premium, interest and Additional Amounts in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the aggregate amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and any premium, interest and Additional Amounts, respectively;

THIRD: The balance, if any, to the Company or, Person or Persons entitled thereto.

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Section 5.7 Limitations on Suits.

     No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless

     (1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series;

     (2) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

     (3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee such indemnity as is reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

     (4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

     (5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series;

it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture or any Security to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other such Holders or Holders of Securities of any other series, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders.

Section 5.8 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and any Premium, Interest and Additional Amounts.

     Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of, any premium and (subject to Section 3.5 and Section 3.7) interest on, and any Additional Amounts with respect to such Security, as the case may be, on the respective Stated Maturity or Maturities therefor specified in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date or, in the case of repayment at the option of such Holder if provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, on the date such repayment is due) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such right shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

Section 5.9 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

     If the Trustee or any Holder of a Security has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in

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every such case the Company, the Trustee and each such Holder shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding, be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder, and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and each such Holder shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

Section 5.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

     Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 3.6, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to each and every Holder of a Security is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy, to the extent permitted by law, shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not, to the extent permitted by law, prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

Section 5.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

     No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Security to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to any Holder of a Security may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by such Holder, as the case may be.

Section 5.12 Control by Holders of Securities.

     The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series, provided that

     (1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture or with the Securities of such series,

     (2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction, and

     (3) such direction is not unduly prejudicial to the rights of the other Holders of Securities of such series not joining in such action.

Section 5.13 Waiver of Past Defaults.

     The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such series may waive any past default hereunder with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default

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     (1) in the payment of the principal of, any premium or interest on, or any Additional Amounts with respect to, any Security of such series, or

     (2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article 9 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.

Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 5.14 Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.

     The Company covenants that (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any usury, stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company expressly waives (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

Section 5.15 Undertaking for Costs.

     All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of any undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section 5.15 shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of Outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on or Additional Amounts, if any, with respect to any Security on or after the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date, and, in the case of repayment, on or after the date for repayment).

ARTICLE 6

THE TRUSTEE

Section 6.1 Certain Rights of Trustee.

     Subject to Sections 315(a) through 315(d) of the Trust Indenture Act:

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     (1) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note or other paper or document reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

     (2) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or a Company Order (in each case, other than delivery of any Security to the Trustee for authentication and delivery pursuant to Section 3.3 which shall be sufficiently evidenced as provided therein) and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

     (3) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence shall be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officers’ Certificate;

     (4) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

     (5) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by or pursuant to this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities of any series pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee such security or indemnity as is reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;

     (6) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, coupon or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may but shall not be obligated to make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine, during business hours and upon reasonable notice, the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney;

     (7) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;

     (8) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was grossly negligent, acted in bad faith or engaged in willful misconduct;

     (9) the Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, and Security Registrar shall have the same protections as the Trustee set forth in this Section 6.1; and

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     (10) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with an Act of the Holders hereunder, and, to the extent not so provided herein, with respect to any act requiring the Trustee to exercise its own discretion, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture or any Securities, unless it shall be proved that, in connection with any such action taken, suffered or omitted or any such act, the Trustee was grossly negligent, acted in bad faith or engaged in willful misconduct.

Section 6.2 Notice of Defaults.

     Within 90 days after the occurrence of any default hereunder with respect to the Securities of any series, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Holders of Securities of such series entitled to receive reports pursuant to Section 7.3(3), notice of such default hereunder actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, unless such default shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any), or interest, if any, on, or Additional Amounts or any sinking fund or purchase fund installment with respect to, any Security of such series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the best interest of the Holders of Securities of such series; and provided, further, that in the case of any default of the character specified in Section 5.1(4) with respect to Securities of such series, no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof. For the purpose of this Section, the term “default” means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series.

Section 6.3 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.

     The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company and neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent assumes any responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities, except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Indenture, authenticate the Securities and perform its obligations hereunder and that the statements made by it in a Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1, if necessary, supplied to the Company are true and accurate, subject to the qualifications set forth therein. Neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent shall be accountable for the use or application by the Company of the Securities or the proceeds thereof.

Section 6.4 May Hold Securities.

     The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other Person that may be an agent of the Trustee or the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 310(b) and 311 of the Trust Indenture Act, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would

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have were it not the Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other Person as the case may be.

Section 6.5 Money Held in Trust.

     Except as provided in Section 4.3 and Section 10.3, money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law and shall be held uninvested. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed to in writing with the Company.

Section 6.6 Compensation and Reimbursement.

          The Company agrees:

     (1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for all services rendered by the Trustee hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

     (2) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture or arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to the Trustee’s gross negligence or bad faith; and

     (3) to indemnify the Trustee and its agents, officers, directors and employees for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on their part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending themselves against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of their powers or duties hereunder, except to the extent that any such loss, liability or expense was due to the Trustee’s gross negligence or bad faith.

     As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any series upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the payment of principal of, and premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to Securities.

     To the extent permitted by law, any compensation or expense incurred by the Trustee after a default specified in or pursuant to Section 5.1 is intended to constitute an expense of administration under any then applicable bankruptcy or insolvency law. “Trustee” for purposes of this Section 6.6 shall include any predecessor Trustee but the negligence or bad faith of any Trustee shall not affect the rights of any other Trustee under this Section 6.6.

     The provisions of this Section 6.6 shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or the earlier resignation or removal of the Trustee and shall apply with equal force

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and effect to the Trustee in its capacity as Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent or Security Registrar.

Section 6.7 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.

     There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder that is a Corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, that is eligible under Section 310(a)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act to act as trustee under an indenture qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and that has a combined capital and surplus (computed in accordance with Section 310(a)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act) of at least $50,000,000, and that is subject to supervision or examination by Federal or state authority. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.

Section 6.8 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.

     (1) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee pursuant to Section 6.9.

     (2) The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 6.9 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to such series.

     (3) The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, delivered to the Trustee and the Company.

     (4) If at any time:

     (a) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the obligations imposed upon it under Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to Securities of any series after written request therefor by the Company or any Holder of a Security of such series who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security of such series for at least six months, or

     (b) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 6.7 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or any such Holder, or

     (c) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, (i) the Company, by or pursuant to a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities or the Securities of such series, or (ii) subject to Section 315(e) of the Trust Indenture Act, any Holder of a Security who has been a bona fide Holder of a

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Security of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to all Securities of such series and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.

     (5) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, with respect to the Securities of one or more series, the Company, by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of such series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series) and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 6.9. If, within one year after such resignation, removal, incapacity or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 6.9, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders of Securities and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 6.9, any Holder of a Security who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

     (6) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series by mailing written notice of such event by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the Holders of Securities, if any, of such series as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.

     (7) In no event shall any retiring Trustee be liable for the acts or omissions of any successor Trustee hereunder.

Section 6.9 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.

     (1) Upon the appointment hereunder of any successor Trustee with respect to all Securities, such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties hereunder of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or such successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee, upon payment of its charges, shall execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and, subject to Section 10.3, shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such

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successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder, subject nevertheless to its claim, if any, provided for in Section 6.6.

     (2) Upon the appointment hereunder of any successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and such successor Trustee shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (1) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, such successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (2) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Securities, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (3) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust, that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee and that no Trustee shall be responsible for any notice given to, or received by, or any act or failure to act on the part of any other Trustee hereunder, and, upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein, such retiring Trustee shall have no further responsibility for the exercise of rights and powers or for the performance of the duties and obligations vested in the Trustee under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates other than as hereinafter expressly set forth, and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or such successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee, upon payment of its charges with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates and subject to Section 10.3 shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee, to the extent contemplated by such supplemental indenture, the property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, subject to its claim, if any, provided for in Section 6.6.

     (3) Upon request of any Person appointed hereunder as a successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (1) or (2) of this Section, as the case may be.

     (4) No Person shall accept its appointment hereunder as a successor Trustee unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Person shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

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Section 6.10 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.

     Any Corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any Corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any Corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated but not delivered by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.

Section 6.11 Appointment of Authenticating Agent.

     The Trustee may appoint one or more Authenticating Agents acceptable to the Company with respect to one or more series of Securities which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of that or those series issued upon original issue, exchange, registration of transfer, partial redemption or partial repayment or pursuant to Section 3.6, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent.

     Each Authenticating Agent must be acceptable to the Company and, except as provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, shall at all times be a corporation that would be permitted by the Trust Indenture Act to act as trustee under an indenture qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, is authorized under applicable law and by its charter to act as an Authenticating Agent and has a combined capital and surplus (computed in accordance with Section 310(a)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act) of at least $50,000,000. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.

     Any Corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any Corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any Corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall be the successor of such Authenticating Agent hereunder, provided such Corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.

     An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Trustee and the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such Authenticating Agent and the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions

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of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall mail written notice of such appointment by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to all Holders of Securities, if any, of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent shall serve, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Any successor Authenticating Agent, upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder, shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section.

     The Company agrees to pay each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section. If the Trustee makes such payments, it shall be entitled to be reimbursed for such payments, subject to the provisions of Section 6.6.

     The provisions of Section 3.8, 6.3 and 6.4 shall be applicable to each Authenticating Agent.

     If an Authenticating Agent is appointed with respect to one or more series of Securities pursuant to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in addition to or in lieu of the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternate certificate of authentication in substantially the following form:

     This is one of the Securities of the series designated herein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

		,
	as Trustee
By:
	as Authenticating Agent
By:
	Authorized Signatory

     If all of the Securities of any series may not be originally issued at one time, and if the Trustee does not have an office capable of authenticating Securities upon original issuance located in a Place of Payment where the Company wishes to have Securities of such series authenticated upon original issuance, the Trustee, if so requested in writing (which writing need not be accompanied by or contained in an Officers’ Certificate by the Company), shall appoint in accordance with this Section an Authenticating Agent having an office in a Place of Payment designated by the Company with respect to such series of Securities.

ARTICLE 7
HOLDERS LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

Section 7.1 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.

     In accordance with Section 312(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee

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     (1) semi-annually with respect to Securities of each series not later than June 30 and December 31 of the year or upon such other dates as are set forth in or pursuant to the Board Resolution or indenture supplemental hereto authorizing such series, a list, in each case in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Holders as of the applicable date, and

     (2) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished,

provided, however, that so long as the Trustee is the Security Registrar no such list shall be required to be furnished.

Section 7.2 Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders.

     The Trustee shall comply with the obligations imposed upon it pursuant to Section 312 of the Trust Indenture Act.

     Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or any Security Registrar shall be held accountable by reason of the disclosure of any such information as to the names and addresses of the Holders of Securities in accordance with Section 312(c) of the Trust Indenture Act, regardless of the source from which such information was derived, and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of mailing any material pursuant to a request made under Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.

Section 7.3 Reports by Trustee.

     (1) Within 60 days after March 1 of each year commencing with the first March 1 following the first issuance of Securities pursuant to Section 3.1, if required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall transmit, pursuant to Section 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act, a brief report dated as of such March 1 with respect to any of the events specified in said Section 313(a) which may have occurred since the later of the immediately preceding March 1 and the date of this Indenture.

     (2) The Trustee shall transmit the reports required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act at the times specified therein.

     (3) Reports pursuant to this Section shall be transmitted in the manner and to the Persons required by Sections 313(c) and 313(d) of the Trust Indenture Act.

Section 7.4 Reports by Company; Rule 144A Information.

     (1) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, no later than the time such report is required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act (including, without limitation, to the extent applicable, any extension permitted by Rule 12b-25 under the Exchange Act), a copy of each report the Company is required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that the Company shall not be

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required to deliver to the Trustee any material for which the Company has sought and received confidential treatment from the Commission; provided further, each such report will be deemed to be so delivered to the Trustee if the Company files such report with the Commission through the Commission’s EDGAR database no later than the time such report is required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act (including, without limitation, to the extent applicable, any extension permitted by Rule 12b-25 under the Exchange Act). In the event the Company is at any time no longer subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall continue to provide to the Trustee and, upon request, to any Holder, within the time period that the Company would have been required to file such reports with the Commission (including, without limitation, to the extent applicable, any extension permitted by Rule 12b-25 under the Exchange Act); annual and quarterly consolidated financial statements substantially equivalent to financial statements that would have been included in reports filed with the Commission if the Company were subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, including, with respect to annual information only, a report thereon by the Company’s certified independent public accountants as such would be required in such reports filed with the Commission and, in each case, together with a management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations which would be so required. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of §314(a) of the Trust Indenture Act. Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only, and the Trustee’s receipt thereof shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates.;

     (2) In addition, in the event that the offer and sale of the Securities of any series has not been registered under the Securities Act in reliance on Section 4(2) thereof, the Company agrees that, in order to render such Securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, while any of such Securities remain outstanding and “restricted securities” (within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the Securities Act), the Company will make available, upon request, to any Holder or owner of Securities or prospective purchasers of Securities the information specified in Rule 144A(d)(4) with respect to the Company, unless such information is furnished to the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

ARTICLE 8
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALES

Section 8.1 Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms.

     The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company), or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its property or assets to any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company), and the Company shall not permit any other Person (whether or not affiliated with the Company) to consolidate with or merge into the Company or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its property or assets to the Company, unless:

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     (1) in case the Company shall consolidate with or merge into another Person or convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its property or assets to any Person, the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance, transfer, lease or otherwise, all or substantially all of the property or assets of the Company as shall be a Corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and shall expressly assume, by an indenture (or indentures, if at such time there is more than one Trustee) supplemental hereto, executed by the successor Person and delivered to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of, any premium and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to all the Securities and the performance of every obligation in this Indenture and the Outstanding Securities on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;

     (2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction and treating any indebtedness which becomes an obligation of the Company or a Subsidiary as a result of such transaction as having been incurred by the Company or such Subsidiary at the time of such transaction, no Event of Default or event which, after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing; and

     (3) either the Company or the successor Person shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

Section 8.2 Successor Person Substituted for Company.

     Upon any consolidation by the Company with or merger of the Company into any other Person or any conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of the property or assets of the Company in accordance with Section 8.1, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein; and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor Person shall be released from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.

ARTICLE 9
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

Section 9.1 Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Holders.

     Without the consent of any Holders of Securities, the Company (when authorized by or pursuant to a Board Resolution) and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, for any of the following purposes:

     (1) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company, and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company contained herein and in the Securities; or

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     (2) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (as shall be specified in such supplemental indenture or indentures) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or

     (3) to change or eliminate any restrictions on the payment of principal of, any premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to Securities, provided any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series in any material respect; or

     (4) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Section 2.1 and Section 3.1; or

     (5) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 6.9; or

     (6) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture which shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series then Outstanding in any material respect; or

     (7) to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of Securities, as herein set forth; or

     (8) to add any additional Events of Default with respect to all or any series of Securities (as shall be specified in such supplemental indenture); or

     (9) to supplement any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the defeasance and discharge of any series of Securities pursuant to Article 4, provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of any Holder of an Outstanding Security of such series or any other Outstanding Security in any material respect; or

     (10) to secure the Securities; or

     (11) to amend or supplement any provision contained herein or in any supplemental indenture, provided that no such amendment or supplement shall materially adversely affect the interests of the Holders of any Securities then Outstanding.

Section 9.2 Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.

          With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company (when authorized by or pursuant to a Company’s Board Resolution) and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or

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indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture or of the Securities of such series; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby, shall

     (1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any premium or installment of interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate (or modify the calculation of such rate) of interest thereon or any Additional Amounts with respect thereto, or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof or otherwise, or change the obligation of the Company to pay Additional Amounts pursuant to Section 10.4 (except as contemplated by Section 8.1(1) and permitted by Section 9.1(1)), or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.2 or the amount thereof provable in bankruptcy pursuant to Section 5.4, change the redemption provisions or adversely affect the right of repayment at the option of any Holder as contemplated by Article 13, or change the Place of Payment, Currency in which the principal of, any premium or interest on, or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Security is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date or, in the case of repayment at the option of the Holder, on or after the date for repayment), in each case, as provided herein or, with respect to any Security that, pursuant to Section 3.1, is convertible or exchangeable, adversely affect the right of any Holder to convert to exchange such Security in accordance with the terms thereof, or

     (2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences) provided for in this Indenture, or reduce the requirements of Section 15.4 for quorum or voting, or

     (3) modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 15.3 or Section 10.7, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby.

     A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which shall have been included expressly and solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.

     It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders of Securities under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

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Section 9.3 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.

     As a condition to executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trust created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be provided, and (subject to Section 315 of the Trust Indenture Act) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent to the execution of such supplemental indenture have been fulfilled. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

Section 9.4 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

     Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of a Security theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.

Section 9.5 Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.

     Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.

Section 9.6 Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.

     Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.

Section 9.7 Notice of Supplemental Indenture.

     Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to Section 9.2, the Company shall transmit to the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series affected thereby a notice setting forth the substance of such supplemental indenture.

ARTICLE 10
COVENANTS

Section 10.1 Payment of Principal, any Premium, Interest and Additional Amounts.

     The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities of each series that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of, any premium and interest on and

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any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of such series in accordance with the terms thereof, any supplement hereto and this Indenture.

Section 10.2 Maintenance of Office or Agency.

     The Company shall maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Securities an Office or Agency where Securities of such series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such series relating thereto and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such Office or Agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Office or Agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee and the Company appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

     The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other Offices or Agencies where the Securities of one or more series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an Office or Agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other Office or Agency. Unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture, the Company hereby designates as the Place of Payment for each series of Securities the State of Ohio, City of Cincinnati, and initially appoints the Corporate Trust Office for such purpose. The Company may subsequently appoint a different Office or Agency in the United States or any other Place of Payment for the Securities of any series.

Section 10.3 Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.

     If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of, any premium or interest on or Additional Amounts with respect to any of the Securities of such series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum in the currency or currencies, currency unit or units or composite currency or currencies in which the Securities of such series are payable (except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.1 for the Securities of such series) sufficient to pay the principal or any premium, interest or Additional Amounts so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided, and shall promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

     Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any series of Securities, it shall, on or prior to each due date of the principal of, any premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Securities of such series, deposit with any Paying Agent a sum (in the currency or currencies, currency unit or units or composite currency or currencies described in the preceding paragraph) sufficient to pay the principal or any premium, interest or Additional Amounts so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of

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the Persons entitled thereto, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

     The Company shall cause each Paying Agent for any series of Securities other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent shall:

     (1) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of, any premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to Securities of such series in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as provided in or pursuant to this Indenture;

     (2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities of such series) in the making of any payment of principal, any premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities of such series; and

     (3) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.

          The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same terms as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such sums.

     Except as otherwise provided herein or pursuant hereto, any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, any premium or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal or any such premium or interest or any such Additional Amounts shall have become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease.

Section 10.4 Additional Amounts.

     If any Securities of a series provide for the payment of Additional Amounts, the Company agrees to pay to the Holder of any such Security Additional Amounts as provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or such Securities. Whenever in this Indenture there is mentioned, in any context, the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on, or in respect of, any Security of any series or the net proceeds received on the sale or exchange of any Security of any series, such mention shall be deemed to include mention of the payment of Additional Amounts provided by the terms of such series established hereby or pursuant hereto to the extent that, in such context, Additional Amounts are, were or would be payable in respect thereof pursuant to such terms, and express mention of the payment of Additional Amounts (if applicable) in any

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provision hereof shall not be construed as excluding the payment of Additional Amounts in those provisions hereof where such express mention is not made.

     Except as otherwise provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or the Securities of the applicable series, if the Securities of a series provide for the payment of Additional Amounts, at least 10 days prior to the first Interest Payment Date with respect to such series of Securities (or if the Securities of such series shall not bear interest prior to Maturity, the first day on which a payment of principal is made), and at least 10 days prior to each date of payment of principal or interest if there has been any change with respect to the matters set forth in the below-mentioned Officers’ Certificate, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee and the principal Paying Agent or Paying Agents, if other than the Trustee, an Officers’ Certificate instructing the Trustee and such Paying Agent or Paying Agents whether such payment of principal of and premium, if any, or interest on the Securities of such series shall be made to Holders of Securities of such series who are U.S. Aliens without withholding for or on account of any tax, assessment or other governmental charge described in the Securities of such series. If any such withholding shall be required, then such Officers’ Certificate shall specify by country the amount, if any, required to be withheld on such payments to such Holders of Securities, and the Company agrees to pay to the Trustee or such Paying Agent the Additional Amounts required by the terms of such Securities. The Company covenants to indemnify the Trustee and any Paying Agent for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss, liability or expense reasonably incurred without negligence or bad faith on their part arising out of or in connection with actions taken or omitted by any of them in reliance on any Officers’ Certificate furnished pursuant to this Section.

Section 10.5 Legal Existence.

          Subject to Article 8, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and that of each Subsidiary and their respective rights (charter and statutory) and franchises; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to preserve any such right or franchise if the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of its business or the business of the Company or such Subsidiary and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to any Holder.

Section 10.6 Waiver of Certain Covenants.

     The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Section 10.5 with respect to the Securities of any series if before the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, by Act of such Holders, either shall waive such compliance in such instance or generally shall have waived compliance with such term, provision or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

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Section 10.7 Company Statement as to Compliance; Notice of Certain Defaults.

     (1) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, a written statement (which need not be contained in or accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate) signed by the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, stating that

     (a) a review of the activities of the Company during such year and of its performance under this Indenture has been made under his or her supervision, and

     (b) to the best of his or her knowledge, based on such review, (a) the Company has complied with all the conditions and covenants imposed on it under this Indenture throughout such year, or, if there has been a default in the fulfillment of any such condition or covenant, specifying each such default known to him or her and the nature and status thereof, and (b) no event has occurred and is continuing which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default, or, if such an event has occurred and is continuing, specifying each such event known to him and the nature and status thereof.

     (2) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within five days after the occurrence thereof, written notice of any Event of Default or any event which after notice or lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default.

     (3) The Trustee shall have no duty to monitor the Company’s compliance with the covenants contained in this Article 10 other than as specifically set forth in this Section 10.7.

ARTICLE 11
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

Section 11.1 Applicability of Article.

     Redemption of Securities of any series at the option of the Company as permitted or required by the terms of such Securities shall be made in accordance with the terms of such Securities and (except as otherwise provided herein or pursuant hereto) this Article.

Section 11.2 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.

     The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by or pursuant to a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of (a) less than all of the Securities of any series or (b) all of the Securities of any series, the Company shall, at least 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed.

Section 11.3 Selection by Trustee of Securities to be Redeemed.

     If less than all of the Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the

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Trustee from the Outstanding Securities of such series not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions of the principal amount of Securities of such series; provided, however, that no such partial redemption shall reduce the portion of the principal amount of a Security of such series not redeemed to less than the minimum denomination for a Security of such series established herein or pursuant hereto.

     The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company and the Security Registrar (if other than itself) in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

     For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.

Section 11.4 Notice of Redemption.

     Notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided in Section 1.6, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to the Holders of Securities to be redeemed. Failure to give notice by mailing in the manner herein provided to the Holder of any Securities designated for redemption as a whole or in part, or any defect in the notice to any such Holder, shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Securities or portion thereof.

     Any notice that is mailed to the Holder of any Securities in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not such Holder receives the notice.

     All notices of redemption shall state:

     (1) the Redemption Date,

     (2) the Redemption Price,

     (3) if less than all Outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the principal amount) of the particular Security or Securities to be redeemed,

     (4) in case any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice which relates to such Security shall state that on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security, the Holder of such Security will receive, without charge, a new Security or Securities of authorized denominations for the principal amount thereof remaining unredeemed,

     (5) that, on the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price shall become due and payable upon each such Security or portion thereof to be redeemed, and, if applicable, that interest thereon shall cease to accrue on and after said date,

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     (6) the place or places where such Securities, maturing after the Redemption Date, are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price and any accrued interest and Additional Amounts pertaining thereto,

     (7) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case,

     (8) the CUSIP number or the Euroclear or Clearstream reference numbers of such Securities, if any (or any other numbers used by a Depository to identify such Securities), and

     (9) if the Securities are convertible or exchangeable, the terms of which and the manner in which such Securities may, if applicable, be converted or exchanged prior to redemption.

     A notice of redemption published as contemplated by Section 1.6 need not identify particular Securities to be redeemed.

     Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.

Section 11.5 Deposit of Redemption Price.

     On or prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit, with respect to the Securities of any series called for redemption pursuant to Section 11.4, with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 10.3) an amount of money in the applicable Currency sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date, unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.1 or in the Securities of such series) any accrued interest on and Additional Amounts with respect thereto, all such Securities or portions thereof which are to be redeemed on that date.

Section 11.6 Securities Payable on Redemption Date.

     Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, maturing after the Redemption Date, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with any accrued interest and Additional Amounts to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that, except as otherwise specified in or pursuant to this Indenture or the Securities of such series, installments of interest on Securities whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the Regular Record Dates therefor according to their terms and the provisions of Section 3.7.

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     If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and any premium, until paid, shall bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.

Section 11.7 Securities Redeemed in Part.

     Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at any Office or Agency for such Security (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing) and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series, containing identical terms and provisions, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered. If a Security in global form is so surrendered, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Depository or other Depository for such Security in global form as shall be specified in the Company Order with respect thereto to the Trustee, without service charge, a new Security in global form in a denomination equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security in global form so surrendered.

ARTICLE 12
SINKING FUNDS

Section 12.1 Applicability of Article.

     The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series, except as otherwise permitted or required in or pursuant to this Indenture or any Security of such series issued pursuant to this Indenture.

     The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment,” and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 12.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of such series and this Indenture.

Section 12.2 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.

     The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (1) deliver Outstanding Securities of such series (other than any of such Securities previously called for redemption or any of such Securities in respect of which cash shall have been released to the Company) and (2) apply as a credit Securities of such series which have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such series of Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities,

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provided that such series of Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If, as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities of any series in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 12.2, the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed in order to satisfy the remaining sinking fund payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such series for redemption, except upon Company Request, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment, provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall at the request of the Company from time to time pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment requested to be released to the Company.

Section 12.3 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.

     Not less than 75 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of that series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that series pursuant to Section 12.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so credited and not theretofore delivered. If such Officers’ Certificate shall specify an optional amount to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 60 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 11.3 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 11.4. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Section 11.6 and Section 11.7.

ARTICLE 13
REPAYMENT AT THE OPTION OF HOLDERS

Section 13.1 Applicability of Article.

     Securities of any series which are repayable at the option of the Holders thereof before their Stated Maturity shall be repaid in accordance with the terms of the Securities of such series. The repayment of any principal amount of Securities pursuant to such option of the Holder to require repayment of Securities before their Stated Maturity, for purposes of Section 3.9, shall not operate as a payment, redemption or satisfaction of the Debt represented by such Securities unless and until the Company, at its option, shall deliver or surrender the same to the Trustee with a directive that such Securities be cancelled.

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ARTICLE 14

SECURITIES IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES

Section 14.1 Applicability of Article.

     Whenever this Indenture provides for (i) any action by, or the determination of any of the rights of, Holders of Securities of any series in which not all of such Securities are denominated in the same Currency, or (ii) any distribution to Holders of Securities, in the absence of any provision to the contrary in the form of Security of any particular series or pursuant to this Indenture or the Securities, any amount in respect of any Security denominated in a Currency other than Dollars shall be treated for any such action or distribution as that amount of Dollars that could be obtained for such amount on such reasonable basis of exchange and as of the record date with respect to Securities of such series (if any) for such action, determination of rights or distribution (or, if there shall be no applicable record date, such other date reasonably proximate to the date of such action, determination of rights or distribution) as the Company may specify in a written notice to the Trustee.

ARTICLE 15
MEETINGS OF HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

Section 15.1 Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called.

     A meeting of Holders of Securities of any series may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to this Article to make, give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act provided by this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders of Securities of such series.

Section 15.2 Call, Notice and Place of Meetings.

     (1) The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Holders of Securities of any series for any purpose specified in Section 15.1, to be held at such time and at such place in the United States as the Trustee shall determine. Notice of every meeting of Holders of Securities of any series, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be given, in the manner provided in Section 1.6, not less than 21 nor more than 180 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.

     (2) In case at any time the Company (by or pursuant to a Board Resolution), or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series shall have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of the Holders of Securities of such series for any purpose specified in Section 15.1, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have mailed notice of or made the first publication of the notice of such meeting within 21 days after receipt of such request (whichever shall be required pursuant to Section 1.6) or shall not thereafter proceed to cause the meeting to be held as provided herein, then the Company or the Holders of Securities of such series in the amount above specified, as the case may be, may determine the time and the place in the United States, and may call such meeting for such purposes by giving notice thereof as provided in clause (1) of this Section.

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Section 15.3 Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings.

     To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series, a Person shall be (1) a Holder of one or more Outstanding Securities of such series, or (2) a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy for a Holder or Holders of one or more Outstanding Securities of such series by such Holder or Holders. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel, any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.

Section 15.4 Quorum; Action.

     The Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of a series shall constitute a quorum for any meeting of Holders of Securities of such series. In the absence of a quorum within 30 minutes after the time appointed for any such meeting, the meeting shall, if convened at the request of Holders of Securities of such series, be dissolved. In any other case the meeting may be adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting. In the absence of a quorum at any reconvened meeting, such reconvened meeting may be further adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such reconvened meeting. Notice of the reconvening of any adjourned meeting shall be given as provided in Section 15.2(1), except that such notice need be given only once not less than five days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled to be reconvened. Notice of the reconvening of an adjourned meeting shall state expressly the percentage, as provided above, of the principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series which shall constitute a quorum.

     Except as limited by the proviso to Section 9.2, any resolution presented to a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present as aforesaid may be adopted only by the affirmative vote of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series; provided, however, that, except as limited by the proviso to Section 9.2, any resolution with respect to any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act which this Indenture expressly provides may be made, given or taken by the Holders of a specified percentage, which is less than a majority, in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of a series may be adopted at a meeting or an adjourned meeting duly reconvened and at which a quorum is present as aforesaid by the affirmative vote of the Holders of such specified percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series.

     Any resolution passed or decision taken at any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series duly held in accordance with this Section shall be binding on all the Holders of Securities of such series, whether or not such Holders were present or represented at the meeting.

Section 15.5 Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meetings.

     (1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Holders of Securities of such series in regard to proof of the holding of Securities of such series and of the appointment

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of proxies and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall deem appropriate. Except as otherwise permitted or required by any such regulations, the holding of Securities shall be proved in the manner specified in Section 1.4. Such regulations may provide that written instruments appointing proxies, regular on their face, may be presumed valid and genuine without the proof specified in Section 1.4 or other proof.

     (2) The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders of Securities as provided in Section 15.2(2), in which case the Company or the Holders of Securities of the series calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by vote of the Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series represented at the meeting.

     (3) At any meeting, each Holder of a Security of such series or proxy shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of Securities of such series held or represented by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Security challenged as not Outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not Outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote, except as a Holder of a Security of such series or proxy.

     (4) Any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series duly called pursuant to Section 15.2 at which a quorum is present may be adjourned from time to time by Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series represented at the meeting; and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.

Section 15.6 Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings.

     The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the Holders of Securities of such series or of their representatives by proxy and the principal amounts and serial numbers of the Outstanding Securities of such series held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in triplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A record, at least in triplicate, of the proceedings of each meeting of Holders of Securities of any series shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was given as provided in Section 15.2 and, if applicable, Section 15.4. Each copy shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one such copy shall be delivered to the Company and another to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the ballots voted at the meeting. Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.

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* * * *

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

MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC.,           as Issuer
By:	/s/ Melissa Lueke
	Name:	Melissa Lueke
	Title:	Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
U.S. BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,           as Trustee
By:	/s/ Robert T. Jones
	Name:	Robert T. Jones
	Title:	Vice President

EX-5

EXHIBIT 5

Mark A. Weiss
DIRECT DIAL: (513) 579-6599
FACSIMILE: (513) 579-6457
E-MAIL: mweiss@kmklaw.com

November 26, 2008

Meridian Bioscience, Inc.
3471 River Hills Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45244-3091

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel for Meridian Bioscience, Inc., an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333- ) (the “Registration Statement”) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), for the registration of the sale from time to time of (a) shares of common stock (the “Common Stock”) of the Company; (b) shares of preferred stock (the “Preferred Stock”) of the Company; (c) the Company’s debt securities (the “Debt Securities”), which may be issued pursuant to an indenture (the “Indenture”) to be entered into between the Company and US Bank, National Association, as trustee, for any and all securities issued under the Indenture (the “Trustee”); (d) Warrants of the Company to purchase Debt Securities or Common Stock (the “Warrants”), which may be issued pursuant to a warrant agreement between the Company and a warrant agent to be named therein (the “Warrant Agreement”); (e) depository shares representing a fraction or a multiple of a share of a particular series of Preferred Stock (the “Depository Shares”); and (f) any combination of the foregoing securities that may be offered in the form of units (the “Units”) to be issued under one or more unit agreements to be entered into among the Company, a bank or trust company, as unit agent (the “Unit Agent”), and the holders from time to time of the Units (each such unit agreement, a “Unit Agreement”).

     We have, as counsel, examined such corporate records, certificates of public officials and officers of the Company and other documents and reviewed such questions of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinions expressed below. As to various questions of fact material to such opinions, we have relied upon representations of the Company. We have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents, certificates and records as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinions set forth herein.

     In our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. In making our examination of executed documents, we have assumed that the parties thereto, other than the Company, had the power, corporate or other, to enter into and perform all obligations thereunder and have also assumed the due authorization by all requisite action, corporate or other, and the execution and delivery of such documents by the parties to such documents, and the validity and binding effect thereof. As to any facts material to the opinions expressed herein

which we did not independently establish or verify, we have relied upon oral or written statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others.

	Based solely upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
(1)	When the necessary corporate action on the part of the Company has been taken to authorize the issuance and sale of such shares of Common Stock proposed to be sold by the Company, and when such shares of Common Stock are issued and delivered in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor or upon conversion or exercise of any security offered under the Registration Statement (the “Offered Security”), in accordance with terms of such Offered Security or the instrument governing such Offered Security providing for such conversion or exercise as approved by the Board of Directors, for the consideration approved by the Board of Directors, such shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully-paid and non-assessable.
(2)	Upon designation of the relative rights, preferences and limitations of a series of Preferred Stock by the Board of Directors of the Company, and the proper filing of articles of amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended, setting forth the terms of the Preferred Stock has been filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Ohio, all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company will have been taken to authorize the issuance and sale of such series of Preferred Stock proposed to be sold by the Company, and when such shares of Preferred Stock are issued and delivered in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such shares of Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
(3)	When the Indenture and any supplemental indenture to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Debt Securities or Officers’ Certificate (as defined in the Indenture) establishing the terms of such series of Debt Securities has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee and the Company; the specific terms of a particular series of Debt Securities have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Indenture; and such Debt Securities have been duly authorized, executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with the Indenture and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Debt Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability.
(4)	When the Warrant Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Warrants has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Warrant Agent and the Company; the specific terms of the Warrants have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Warrant Agreement, and such Warrants have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Warrant Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement, such Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability.
(5)	When (i) the terms of the issuance and sale of the Depositary Shares shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, (ii) the number of Depositary Shares issued by the Company at no time exceeds the maximum amount of shares of Preferred Stock authorized to be issued by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended and (iii) the Depositary Shares have been duly issued and

sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, against payment of the consideration fixed therefor by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof, the Depositary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(6)

When the Unit Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Units has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Unit Agent and the Company; the specific terms of the Units have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Unit Agreement; and such Units have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Unit Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement, such Units will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability.

     In connection with the opinions expressed above, we have assumed that, at or prior to the time of the delivery of any such security, (i) the Board of Directors shall have duly established the terms of such security and duly authorized the issuance and sale of such security and such authorization shall not have been modified or rescinded; (ii) the Registration Statement shall have become effective and such effectiveness shall not have been terminated or rescinded; and (iii) there shall not have occurred any change in law affecting the validity or enforceability of such security. We have also assumed that none of the terms of any security to be established subsequent to the date hereof, nor the issuance and delivery of such security, nor the compliance by the Company with the terms of such security will violate any applicable law or public policy or will result in a violation of any provision of any instrument or agreement then binding upon the Company, or any restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company.

     The foregoing opinion is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Ohio.

     We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement referred to above and further consent to the reference to our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus, which is a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

     This opinion is rendered solely to you in connection with the above matter. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent.

Very truly yours, KEATING MUETHING & KLEKAMP PLL
By:	/s/ Mark A. Weiss
	Mark A. Weiss

MAW:slh

EX-12

EXHIBIT 12

MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC.
COMPUTATION OF RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND FIXED CHARGES
(AMOUNTS IN 000’S)

     The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated.

Year Ended September 30,
	2008		2007		2006		2005		2004
EBIT		45,992		36,682		28,066		19,705		13,493
Fixed charges (interest)		—		38		128		770		1,557
EBIT before fixed charges		45,992		36,720		28,194		20,475		15,050
Fixed-charge coverage ratio		N/A		966		220		27		10

EX-23.1

EXHIBIT 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We have issued our report dated November 24, 2008 accompanying the consolidated financial statements, schedule, and effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Meridian Bioscience, Inc. and subsidiaries appearing in the 2008 Annual Report of the Company to its shareholders included in the Form 10-K for the year ending September 30, 2008. We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statement of the aforementioned report and to the use of our name as it appears under the caption “Experts.”

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

Cincinnati, Ohio
November 24, 2008

EX-25.1

Exhibit 25.1

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM T-1

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY UNDER
THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A
CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE
Check if an Application to Determine Eligibility of
a Trustee Pursuant to Section 305(b)(2)

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
(Exact name of Trustee as specified in its charter)

31-0841368
I.R.S. Employer Identification No.

800 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, Minnesota
(Address of principal executive offices) 55402
(Zip Code)

Robert T. Jones
U.S. Bank National Association
425 Walnut Street, 6^th floor
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513) 632-4427
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

Meridian Bioscience
(Issuer with respect to the Securities)

Ohio	31-0888197
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
3471 River Hills Drive Cincinnati, Ohio 45244	45244
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)	(Zip Code)

Debt Securities
(Title of the Indenture Securities)

FORM T-1

Item 1. GENERAL INFORMATION. Furnish the following information as to the Trustee.

a) Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject.

Comptroller of the Currency
Washington, D.C.

b) Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

Yes

Item 2. AFFILIATIONS WITH OBLIGOR. If the obligor is an affiliate of the Trustee, describe each such affiliation.

None

Items 3-15 Items 3-15 are not applicable because to the best of the Trustee’s knowledge, the obligor is not in default under any Indenture for which the Trustee acts as Trustee.

Item 16. LIST OF EXHIBITS: List below all exhibits filed as a part of this statement of eligibility and qualification.

1.	A copy of the Articles of Association of the Trustee.*
2.	A copy of the certificate of authority of the Trustee to commence business.*
3.	A copy of the certificate of authority of the Trustee to exercise corporate trust powers.*
4.	A copy of the existing bylaws of the Trustee.**
5.	A copy of each Indenture referred to in Item 4. Not applicable.
6.	The consent of the Trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, attached as Exhibit 6.
7.	Report of Condition of the Trustee as of September 30, 2008 published pursuant to law or the requirements of its supervising or examining authority, attached as Exhibit 7.

*	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 25.1 to Amendment No. 2 to registration statement on S-4, Registration Number 333-128217 filed on November 15, 2005.
**	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 25.1 to registration statement on S-4, Registration Number 333-145601 filed on August 21, 2007.

2

SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, the Trustee, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this statement of eligibility and qualification to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of Cincinnati, State of Ohio on the 30th of October, 2008.

By:	/s/ Robert Jones
	Robert Jones
	Vice President

By:	/s/ William Sicking William Sicking
	Vice President

3

Exhibit 6

CONSENT

     In accordance with Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the undersigned, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION hereby consents that reports of examination of the undersigned by Federal, State, Territorial or District authorities may be furnished by such authorities to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon its request therefor.

Dated: October 30, 2008

By:	/s/ Robert Jones
	Robert Jones
	Vice President

By:	/s/ William Sicking William Sicking
	Vice President

4

Exhibit 7
U.S. Bank National Association
Statement of Financial Condition
As of 9/30/2008

($000’s)

	9/30/2008
Assets
Cash and Balances Due From	$	7,232,911
Depository Institutions
Securities		36,927,854
Federal Funds		3,517,817
Loans & Lease Financing Receivables		165,651,532
Fixed Assets		3,030,773
Intangible Assets		12,172,606
Other Assets		14,063,317
Total Assets	$	242,596,810
Liabilities
Deposits	$	147,640,677
Fed Funds		13,500,584
Treasury Demand Notes		0
Trading Liabilities		488,249
Other Borrowed Money		43,752,578
Acceptances		0
Subordinated Notes and Debentures		7,379,967
Other Liabilities		6,540,570
Total Liabilities	$	219,302,625
Equity
Minority Interest in Subsidiaries	$	1,679,593
Common and Preferred Stock		18,200
Surplus		12,057,621
Undivided Profits		9,538,771
Total Equity Capital	$	23,294,185
Total Liabilities and Equity Capital	$	242,596,810

To the best of the undersigned’s determination, as of the date hereof, the above financial information is true and correct.

U.S. Bank National Association
By:	/s/ Robert Jones Vice President

Date: October 30, 2008

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