Unassociated Document
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of June 2013
Commission File Number: 001-06439
SONY CORPORATION
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
7-1, KONAN 1-CHOME, MINATO-KU, TOKYO 108-0075, JAPAN
(Address of principal executive offices)
The registrant files annual reports under cover of Form 20-F.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F,
Form 20-F þ                    Form 40-F o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Yes  o   No  þ
If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):82-                    

 
 

 
 

SONY CORPORATION

Notice of the Ordinary General Meeting of
Shareholders to be held on June 20, 2013

 
To the Registered Holders of American Depositary Receipts representing Common Stock of Sony Corporation (the “Corporation”):

The undersigned Depositary has received notice that the Corporation has called an ordinary general meeting of shareholders to be held in Tokyo, Japan on June 20, 2013 (the “Meeting”) for the following purposes:



MATTERS TO BE REPORTED:

To receive reports on the business report, non-consolidated financial statements, consolidated financial statements and audit reports on the consolidated financial statements by the Independent Auditors (certified public accountants) and the Audit Committee for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 (from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013) pursuant to the Companies Act of Japan.



PROPOSALS TO BE ACTED UPON:

1.  To elect 13 Directors.
2.  To issue Stock Acquisition Rights for the purpose of granting stock options.




EXPLANATION OF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE MEETING


MATTERS TO BE REPORTED:

To receive reports on the business report, non-consolidated financial statements, consolidated financial statements and audit reports on the consolidated financial statements by the Independent Auditors (certified public accountants) and the Audit Committee for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 (from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013).
 

Note: The Consolidated Financial Statements are available on the Sony Investor Relations website.

This document can be accessed at http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/investors/meeting.html


 
1

 

PROPOSALS TO BE ACTED UPON:


1.   To elect 13 Directors.

The terms of office of all 14 Directors currently in office will expire at the conclusion of the Meeting.  In accordance with the decision of the Nominating Committee, the election of the following 13 Directors is proposed.

The Corporation sets forth the following provisions in its Charter of the Board of Directors as qualifications for Directors, and all candidates conform to these requirements.

Of the 13 director candidates, each of the 10 candidates for outside Director has management experience and demonstrated performance, expertise in various fields including technology, and an international orientation, and has been judged sufficiently able to fulfill the roles of determining the fundamental management policies of Sony Group and overseeing the management of Sony Group’s business operations.  In addition, as of the date of this proposal, each of the 10 candidates for outside Director conforms to the requirements for independence as set out in the Japanese Stock Exchanges’ Listing Standards where the shares of the Corporation are listed, and the Corporation filed with the relevant Stock Exchanges that each of them will be an independent director.
 
   All Directors Qualifications:
 (1) Shall not be a director, a statutory auditor, a corporate executive officer, a general manager or other employees of any company in competition with Sony Group in any of Sony Group’s principal businesses (hereinafter referred to as “Competing Company”) or own three percent (3%) or more of the shares of any Competing Company.
(2) Shall not be or have been a representative partner or partner of any independent auditor of Sony Group during the past three (3) years before being nominated as a Director.
(3)
Shall not have any connection with any matter that may cause a material conflict of interest in performing the duties of a Director.
 
   Outside Directors Qualifications:
(1) 
Shall not have received directly from Sony Group, during any consecutive twelve-month (12 month) period within the last three (3) years, more than an amount equivalent to one hundred twenty thousand United States dollars (US$120,000), other than director and committee fees and pension or other forms of deferred compensation for prior service (provided such compensation is not contingent in any way on continued service).
(2) 
Shall not be a director, a statutory auditor, a corporate executive officer, a general manager or other employees of any company whose aggregate amount of transactions with Sony Group, in any of the last three (3) fiscal years, exceeds the greater of an amount equivalent to one million United States dollars (US$1,000,000), or two percent (2%) of the annual consolidated sales of such company. 
(3)  Shall not be, or shall not have been, a director engaged in the business operation, a corporate executive officer, an accounting counselor, a general manager or other employees of the Corporation or its subsidiaries.
 
The candidates for Director are as follows:

 
2

 

1. Kazuo Hirai Reappointment
 
As the Chief Executive Officer of Sony Group, this candidate is responsible for overall management of the entire Group.
Responsibility as a Director
Member of the Nominating Committee
Date of Birth
December 22, 1960
Number of Years Served as a Director
1 year
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
4,000 shares
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
April 1984
Entered CBS/Sony Inc. (currently Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.)
July 1996
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
October 1997
Corporate Executive Officer, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
April 1999
President and Chief Operating Officer, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
August 2003
President and Chief Executive Officer, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
December 2006
President and Group Chief Operating Officer, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Chairman, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
June 2007
President and Group Chief Executive Officer, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
April 2009
Executive Vice President, Corporate Executive Officer, Sony Corporation
April 2011
Executive Deputy President, Representative Corporate Executive Officer, Sony Corporation
September 2011
Chairman, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
April 2012
President and Chief Executive Officer, Representative Corporate Executive Officer, Sony Corporation (present)
June 2012
Director, Sony Corporation (present)

 
2. Masaru Kato
Reappointment
 
Of the headquarters functions, this candidate is responsible for Corporate Planning and Control, Accounting, Tax, Finance, Investor Relations, Disclosure Controls and Information Systems.
Responsibility as a Director
Member of the Compensation Committee
Date of Birth
February 22, 1952
Number of Years Served as a Director
1 year
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
13,500 shares
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
April 1977
Entered Sony Corporation
June 1997
Corporate Executive Officer, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
June 2000
Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
July 2002
Deputy President and Chief Financial Officer, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
July 2005
Representative Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
June 2009
Senior Vice President and Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Executive, Sony Corporation
June 2010
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Executive Officer, Sony Corporation (present)
June 2012
Director, Sony Corporation (present)

 
3

 
 
3. Sir Peter Bonfield
Reappointment
 
Candidate for outside Director
 
In addition to serving as Chief Executive Officer of British Telecom, this candidate was a member of the Advisory Board of the Corporation.  Since 2005, he has served as an outside Director of the Corporation.
Responsibility as a Director
Chair of the Nominating Committee
Date of Birth
June 3, 1944
Number of Years Served as a Director
8 years
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
October 1981
Entered ICL plc
December 1986
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ICL plc
January 1996
Chief Executive Officer, British Telecom plc
March 2002
Director, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (present)
Director, Mentor Graphics Corporation (present)
April 2002
Director, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (present)
May 2004
Member of the Advisory Board, Sony Corporation
June 2005
Director, Sony Corporation (present)
December 2006
Chairman of the Board, NXP Semiconductors N.V. (present)


4. Ryuji Yasuda
Reappointment
 
Candidate for outside Director
 
This candidate has experience as a university professor, consultant and corporate manager, as well as expertise in corporate strategy and financial institution management.  Since 2007, he has served as an outside Director of the Corporation.
Responsibility as a Director
Chair of the Compensation Committee
Date of Birth
April 28, 1946
Number of Years Served as a Director
6 years
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
4,000 shares
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
January 1979
Entered McKinsey & Company
June 1986
Principal Partner, McKinsey & Company
June 1991
Director, McKinsey & Company
June 1996
Managing Director and Chairman, A.T. Kearney, Asia
June 2003
Chairman, J-Will Partners Co., Ltd.
Director, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. (present)
April 2004
Professor, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University (present)
April 2007
Director, Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc. (present)
June 2007
Director, Sony Corporation (present)
June 2008
Director, Sony Financial Holdings Inc. (present)
June 2009
Director, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. (present)
 
 
4

 
 
5. Yukako Uchinaga
Reappointment
 
Candidate for outside Director
 
In addition to business experience and specialties focusing on technology cultivated at IBM, this candidate has extensive experience in promoting workplace diversity.  Since 2008, she has served as an outside Director of the Corporation.
Responsibility as a Director
Date of Birth
July 5, 1946
Number of Years Served as a Director
5 years
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
3,100 shares
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
July 1971
Entered IBM Japan, Ltd.
April 1995
Director, IBM Japan, Ltd.
April 2000
Managing Director, IBM Japan, Ltd.
April 2004
Senior Managing Director, IBM Japan, Ltd.
April 2007
Technical Advisor, IBM Japan, Ltd.
May 2007
Board Chair, Japan Women’s Innovative Network (present)
June 2007
Director, Benesse Corporation
April 2008
Director and Vice Chairman, Benesse Corporation
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President, Berlitz Corporation
June 2008
Director, Sony Corporation (present)
October 2009
Director and Executive Vice President, Benesse Holdings, Inc. (present)
April 2013
Honorary Chairman, Berlitz Corporation (present)
May 2013
Director, Aeon Co., Ltd. (present)


6. Mitsuaki Yahagi
Reappointment
 
Candidate for outside Director
 
This candidate has expertise and insight in the area of bank management.  Since 2008, he has served as an outside Director of the Corporation.
Responsibility as a Director
Member of the Audit Committee
Date of Birth
March 3, 1948
Number of Years Served as a Director
5 years
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
April 1970
Entered The Mitsui Bank, Ltd.
June 1998
Director, The Sakura Bank, Ltd.
April 2001
Managing Director, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
June 2003
Director, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.
Senior Managing Director, The Japan Research Institute, Limited
April 2004
Senior Managing Director, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
June 2005
Deputy President, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
June 2007
Representative Director, Chairman of the Board, The Japan Research Institute, Limited
Corporate Auditor, Toray Industries, Inc. (present)
June 2008
Director, Sony Corporation (present)
Corporate Auditor, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (present)
June 2012
Special Advisor, The Japan Research Institute, Limited (present)
 
 
5

 
 
7. Kanemitsu Anraku
Reappointment
 
Candidate for outside Director
 
In addition to experience in managing manufacturing companies as well as global companies, this candidate has extensive knowledge of finance and accounting.  Since 2010, he has served as an outside Director of the Corporation.
Responsibility as a Director
Member of the Audit Committee
Date of Birth
April 21, 1941
Number of Years Served as a Director
3 years
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
3,100 shares
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
April 1964
Entered Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
June 1993
Director, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
June 1997
Managing Director, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
May 1999
Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
April 2000
Vice Chairman, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
April 2002
President, Nissan Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.
June 2005
Counselor, Nissan Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.
June 2007
Director, Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (present)
June 2010
Director, Sony Corporation (present)


8. Yorihiko Kojima
Reappointment
 
Candidate for outside Director
 
This candidate has extensive insight and experience in managing global companies.  Since 2010, he has served as an outside Director of the Corporation.
Responsibility as a Director
Member of the Nominating Committee
Date of Birth
October 15, 1941
Number of Years Served as a Director
3 years
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
7,300 shares
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
May 1965
Entered Mitsubishi Corporation
June 1995
Director, Mitsubishi Corporation
April 1997
Managing Director, Mitsubishi Corporation
April 2001
Executive Vice President, Mitsubishi Corporation
June 2001
Member of the Board, Senior Executive Vice President, Mitsubishi Corporation
April 2004
Member of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer, Mitsubishi Corporation
June 2010
Director, Sony Corporation (present)
Chairman of the Board, Mitsubishi Corporation (present)
Director, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (present)
June 2011
Director, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (present)
 
 
6

 
 
9. Osamu Nagayama
Reappointment
 
Candidate for outside Director
 
This candidate has extensive insight and experience in managing global companies.  Since 2010, he has served as an outside Director of the Corporation.
Responsibility as a Director
Vice Chairman of the Board
Member of the Nominating Committee
Date of Birth
April 21, 1947
Number of Years Served as a Director
3 years
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
1,000 shares
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
April 1971
Entered The Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, Limited
November 1978
Entered Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
March 1985
Director, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
March 1987
Managing Director, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
March 1989
Executive Deputy President, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
September 1992
Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
January 2006
Member of Enlarged Corporate Executive Committee, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (present)
June 2010
Director, Sony Corporation (present)
March 2012
Representative Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (present)
 
 
10. Takaaki Nimura
Reappointment
 
Candidate for outside Director
 
In addition to auditing experience, expertise in internal controls and procedures and international expertise as a certified public accountant, this candidate’s experience includes the management of an auditing firm.  Since 2012, he has served as an outside Director of the Corporation.
Responsibility as a Director
Chair of the Audit Committee
Date of Birth
October 25, 1949
Number of Years Served as a Director
1 year
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
400 shares
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
October 1974
Entered Arthur Young & Co., Tokyo Office
October 1980
Transferred to Asahi & Co., Osaka Office
October 1983
Transferred to Arthur Young, Los Angeles Office
May 1989
Partner, Asahi Shinwa & Co.
July 1993
Entered Showa Ota & Co.
May 1997
Senior Partner, Showa Ota & Co.
August 2008
Executive Board Member, Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC
June 2012
Director, Sony Corporation (present)


 
7

 

11. Eikoh Harada
New Candidate
 
Candidate for outside Director
 
This candidate has experience in various global companies as well as extensive insight in information technology and consumer businesses.  Mr. Harada is a candidate for outside Director.
Responsibility as a Director
Date of Birth
December 3, 1948
Number of Years Served as a Director
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
April 1972
Entered NCR Japan, Ltd.
November 1980
Entered Yokogawa-Hewlett-Packard Company
January 1983
Director, Schlumberger Group
October 1994
Director, Apple Japan, Inc.
April 1997
President, Apple Japan, Inc.
Vice President, Apple Computer, Inc.
February 2004
Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Representative Director, McDonald’s Company (Japan), Ltd.
March 2004
Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Representative Director, McDonald’s Holdings Company (Japan), Ltd.
May 2004
Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Representative Director, McDonald’s Holdings Company (Japan), Ltd.
Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Representative Director, McDonald’s Company (Japan), Ltd.
March 2005
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Representative Director, McDonald’s Holdings Company (Japan), Ltd. (present)
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Representative Director, McDonald’s Company (Japan), Ltd. (present)

 
12. Joichi Ito
New Candidate
 
Candidate for outside Director
 
In addition to experience as a founder of internet related companies and a venture capitalist, this candidate has a profound knowledge of open innovation.  Mr. Ito is a candidate for outside Director.
Responsibility as a Director
Date of Birth
June 19, 1966
Number of Years Served as a Director
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
August 1995
Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Garage, Inc.
December 1999
Chief Executive Officer, Neoteny Co., Ltd. (present)
August 2006
Director, CGM Marketing, Inc. (present)
September 2006
Director, Digital Garage, Inc. (present)
December 2008
Director, Tucows Inc. (present)
June 2009
Director, Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. (present)
April 2011
Director, MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (present)
June 2012
Director, The New York Times Company (present)
 
 
8

 

13. Tim Schaaff
New Candidate
 
In addition to expertise in software technology and network services, this candidate has experience in leading the network services business in Sony.  Mr. Schaaff is a candidate for Director.
Responsibility as a Director
Date of Birth
December 5, 1959
Number of Years Served as a Director
Number of the Corporation’s Shares Held
5,000 shares
 
Brief Personal History and Principal Business Activities Outside the Corporation
   
December 1982
Entered New England Digital Corporation
July 1991
Entered Apple Computer, Inc.
1998
Vice President, Apple Computer, Inc.
December 2005
Senior Vice President, Sony Corporation of America
November 2006
Deputy President, Technology Development Group, Sony Corporation
June 2008
President, Sony Media Software and Services Inc.
December 2009
President, Sony Network Entertainment International LLC
June 2012
Group Executive, Sony Corporation
 
 Note:  
The Corporation has concluded agreements limiting the liability of the 8 director candidates, each of whom is  currently an outside Director.  If elections of Mr. Eikoh Harada and Mr. Joichi Ito, new candidates for outside Director, are approved, the Corporation plans to conclude such an agreement with each of them.
For a summary of the limited liability agreement, please refer to page 14.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
9

 

2.   To issue Stock Acquisition Rights for the purpose of granting stock options.

It is proposed that the Corporation will issue stock acquisition rights to directors, corporate executive officers and employees of the Corporation and of its subsidiaries (excluding outside Directors; hereinafter the same in this agenda), for the purpose of granting stock options, pursuant to the provisions of Articles 236, 238 and 239 of the Companies Act of Japan, and that the Corporation will delegate the determination of the terms of such stock acquisition rights to the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

I. The reason the Corporation needs to issue stock acquisition rights on favorable terms.

The Corporation will issue stock acquisition rights to directors, corporate executive officers and employees of the Corporation and of its subsidiaries for the purpose of giving directors, corporate executive officers and employees of the Corporation and of its subsidiaries an incentive to contribute towards the improvement of the business performance of the Corporation and of its group companies (collectively the “Group”) and thereby improving the business performance of the Group by making the economic interest which such directors, corporate executive officers or employees will receive correspond to the business performance of the Group.

II.
Terms and conditions of the stock acquisition rights (“Stock Acquisition Rights”), the concrete terms of which the Board of Directors of the Corporation may determine pursuant to the delegation of such determination upon approval at the Meeting.

1. Maximum Limit of Aggregate Numbers of Stock Acquisition Rights
    Not exceeding 27,500.

2. Payment in exchange for Stock Acquisition Rights
    Stock Acquisition Rights are issued without payment of any consideration to the Corporation.

3. Matters regarding Stock Acquisition Rights

(1)   Class and Number of Shares to be Issued or Transferred upon Exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights

The class of shares to be issued or transferred upon exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights shall be shares of common stock, and the number of shares to be issued or transferred upon exercise of each Stock Acquisition Right (the “Number of Granted Shares”) shall be 100 shares.

The aggregate number of shares to be issued or transferred upon exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights shall not exceed 2,750,000 shares of common stock of the Corporation (the “Common Stock”).  However, in the event that the Number of Granted Shares is adjusted pursuant to (2) below, the aggregate number of shares to be issued or transferred upon exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights shall not exceed the number obtained by multiplying the Number of Granted Shares after adjustment by the maximum limit of the aggregate number of Stock Acquisition Rights as prescribed in 1. above.

(2)   Adjustment of Number of Granted Shares

In the event that the Corporation conducts a stock split (including free distribution of shares (musho-wariate)) or a consolidation of the Common Stock after the date of a resolution of the Meeting, the Number of Granted Shares shall be adjusted in accordance with the following formula:

 
Number of
Granted Shares
after adjustment
=
Number of
Granted Shares
before adjustment
x
Ratio of split
or consolidation

Any fraction less than one (1) share resulting from the adjustment shall be disregarded.

 
10

 


(3)              Amount of Assets to be Contributed upon Exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights

The amount of assets to be contributed upon exercise of each Stock Acquisition Right shall be the amount obtained by multiplying the amount to be paid per share to be issued or transferred upon exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights (the “Exercise Price”), which is provided below, by the Number of Granted Shares.

(i) Initial Exercise Price

The Exercise Price shall initially be as follows:

          (A)  
Stock Acquisition Rights with Exercise Price Denominated in Yen

The Exercise Price shall initially be the average of the closing prices of the Common Stock in the regular trading thereof on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (each the “Closing Price”) for the ten (10) consecutive trading days (excluding days on which there is no Closing Price) immediately prior to the allotment date of such Stock Acquisition Rights (any fraction less than one (1) yen arising as a result of such calculation shall be rounded up to the nearest one (1) yen); provided, however, that if such calculated price is lower than either (a) the average of the Closing Prices for the thirty (30) consecutive trading days (excluding days on which there is no Closing Price) commencing forty-five (45) trading days immediately before the date (being the allotment date of Stock Acquisition Rights) on which the Corporation fixes the Exercise Price (any fraction less than one (1) yen arising as a result of such calculation shall be rounded up to the nearest one (1) yen), or (b) the Closing Price on the allotment date of Stock Acquisition Rights (if there is no Closing Price on such date, the Closing Price on the immediately preceding trading day), the Exercise Price shall be the higher price of (a) or (b) above.

          (B)  
Stock Acquisition Rights with Exercise Price Denominated in U.S. Dollars
 
The Exercise Price shall initially be the U.S. dollar amount obtained by dividing the average of the Closing Prices for the ten (10) consecutive trading days (excluding days on which there is no Closing Price) immediately prior to the allotment date of such Stock Acquisition Rights (the “Reference Yen Price”) by the average of the exchange rate quotations by a leading commercial bank in Tokyo for selling spot U.S. dollars by telegraphic transfer against yen for such ten (10) consecutive trading days (the “Reference Exchange Rate”) (any fraction less than one (1) cent arising as a result of such calculation shall be rounded up to the nearest one (1) cent); provided, however, that if the Reference Yen Price is lower than either (a) the average of the Closing Prices for the thirty (30) consecutive trading days (excluding days on which there is no Closing Price) commencing forty-five (45) trading days immediately before the date (being the allotment date of Stock Acquisition Rights) on which the Corporation fixes the Exercise Price, or (b) the Closing Price on the allotment date of Stock Acquisition Rights (if there is no Closing Price on such date, the Closing Price on the immediately preceding trading day), the Exercise Price shall be the U.S. dollar amount obtained by dividing the higher price of (a) or (b) above by the Reference Exchange Rate (any fraction less than one (1) cent arising as a result of such calculation shall be rounded up to the nearest one (1) cent).

 
11

 

(ii)   Adjustment of Exercise Price

In the event that the Corporation conducts a stock split (including free distribution of shares (musho-wariate)) or a consolidation of the Common Stock after the allotment date of Stock Acquisition Rights, the Exercise Price shall be adjusted in accordance with the following formula, and any fraction less than one (1) yen or one (1) cent resulting from the adjustment shall be rounded up to the nearest one (1) yen or one (1) cent, respectively.

 
Exercise Price
after adjustment
=
Exercise Price
before adjustment
x
1
Ratio of split or consolidation

In addition, in the case of a merger with any other company, corporate split or reduction of the amount of capital of the Corporation, or in any other case similar thereto where an adjustment of Exercise Price shall be required, in each case after the allotment date of Stock Acquisition Rights, the Exercise Price shall be adjusted appropriately to the extent reasonable.

(4)   Period during which Stock Acquisition Rights May be Exercised

The period during which Stock Acquisition Rights may be exercised will be the period from the day on which one (1) year has passed from the allotment date of Stock Acquisition Rights to the day on which ten (10) years have passed from such allotment date.

(5)   Conditions for the Exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights

(i) No Stock Acquisition Right may be exercised in part.

 (ii)  
 In the event of a resolution being passed at a general meeting of shareholders of the Corporation for an agreement for any consolidation, amalgamation or merger (other than a consolidation, amalgamation or merger in which the Corporation is the continuing corporation), or in the event of a resolution being passed at a general meeting of shareholders of the Corporation (or, where a resolution of a general meeting of shareholders is not necessary, at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Corporation) for any agreement for share exchange (kabushiki-kokan) or any plan for share transfer (kabushiki-iten) pursuant to which the Corporation is to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of another corporation, Stock Acquisition Rights may not be exercised on and after the effective date of such consolidation, amalgamation or merger, such share exchange (kabushiki-kokan) or such share transfer (kabushiki-iten).

 (iii)  
Conditions for the exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights other than the conditions referred to above shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
 
(6)   Mandatory Repurchase of Stock Acquisition Rights

Not applicable.

 
 (7)
Matters concerning the Amount of Capital and the Additional Paid-in Capital Increased by the Issuance of Shares upon Exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights

  (i) 
The amount of capital increased by the issuance of shares upon exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights shall be the amount obtained by multiplying the maximum limit of capital increase, as calculated in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 1, Article 17 of the Company Accounting Ordinance of Japan, by 0.5, and any fraction less than one (1) yen arising as a result of such calculation shall be rounded up to the nearest one (1) yen.

  (ii)  
The amount of additional paid-in capital increased by the issuance of shares upon exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights shall be the amount obtained by deducting the capital to be increased, as provided in (i) above, from the maximum limit of capital increase, as also provided in (i) above.

(8)    Restrictions on the Acquisition of Stock Acquisition Rights through Transfer

The Stock Acquisition Rights cannot be acquired through transfer, unless such acquisition is expressly approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

 
12

 

Notes:
 
1.
For a summary of the Stock Acquisition Rights issued by the Corporation in the past, please refer to pages 14 to 16.  In light of the granting purpose (contributing to the improvement of the mid- and long-term business performance of Sony Group and thereby improving such business performance of Sony Group), the exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights is restricted during the above mentioned period (a one-year period from the allotment date of the Stock Acquisition Rights), and the Allocation Agreement provides restrictions on the exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights such as a limitation on the number of exercisable Stock Acquisition Rights (in general, one-third of the total number of the allocated Stock Acquisition Rights will be vested and exercisable each year after the restricted period, and all of the allocated Stock Acquisition Rights will be exercisable on and after the date on which three (3) years have passed from the allotment date of the Stock Acquisition Rights), eligibility rules and others.  The Corporation intends that Stock Acquisition Rights issued by the Corporation in the future will be under the same restrictions as the Stock Acquisition Rights issued in the past.
 
 
2.
The maximum limit of the aggregate number of shares to be issued or transferred upon exercise of the Stock Acquisition Rights is 2,750,000, which represents 0.27 percent of the total shares outstanding as of March 31, 2013.  The total of such number of shares and the maximum aggregate number of shares to be issued or transferred upon the exercise of all outstanding stock acquisition rights for the purpose of granting stock options is 21,831,800, which represents 2.16 percent of the total shares outstanding as of March 31, 2013.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
13

 


[For Reference]


Outline of Limited Liability Agreement

Pursuant to the Articles of Incorporation, the Corporation entered into the Limited Liability Agreement with all 10 outside Directors (who are defined under the Companies Act of Japan as individuals who have been in a director position of the Corporation after the date following the last annual shareholders meeting, including individuals who resigned on or before the end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013).
A summary of that Agreement is as follows:

 
(1) In a case where the outside Director is liable to the Corporation after the execution of this Agreement for damages caused by the negligence of his/her duties as a director of the Corporation pursuant to Article 423, Paragraph 1 of the Companies Act, such liabilities shall be limited to the higher of either thirty million yen (30,000,000 yen) or an aggregate sum of the amounts prescribed in Article 425, Paragraph 1 of the Companies Act only where the outside Director acted in good faith without any gross negligence in performing his/her duties.

 
(2) In a case where the outside Director is reelected as an outside Director of the Corporation and reassumes his/her office as such on the expiration of the term of his/her office as an outside Director of the Corporation, this Agreement shall continue to be effective after the reelection and re-assumption without any action or formality.




Summary of Stock Acquisition Rights (SARs) issued by the Corporation in the past (outstanding as of March 31, 2013)

Name
(Date of issuance)
Exercise period
Total number of SARs issued
Number of shares to be issued or transferred
Exercise
price
Percentage of SARs exercised
The fourth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(November 14, 2003)
November 14, 2004
~ November 13, 2013
  6,299
629,900  Common Stock
    ¥ 4,101
   48.1%
The sixth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(March 31, 2004)
April 1, 2004
~ March 31, 2014
  6,311
631,100  Common Stock
U.S.$ 40.90
   34.3%
The seventh series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(November 18, 2004)
November 18, 2005
~ November 17, 2014
  8,217
821,700  Common Stock
    ¥ 3,782
   36.4%
The ninth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(March 31, 2005)
April 1, 2005
~ March 31, 2015
  6,156
615,600  Common Stock
U.S.$ 40.34
   24.6%
The tenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(November 17, 2005)
November 17, 2006
~ November 16, 2015
8,257
825,700  Common Stock
   ¥ 4,060
    12.2%

 
14

 


Name
(Date of issuance)
Exercise period
Total number of SARs issued
Number of shares to be issued or transferred
Exercise price
Percentage of SARs exercised
The eleventh series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(November 17, 2005)
November 18, 2005
~ November 17, 2015
8,633
863,300  Common Stock
U.S.$ 34.14
   27.7%
The twelfth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(November 16, 2006)
November 16, 2006
~ November 15, 2016
8,992
899,200
Common Stock
   ¥ 4,756
     1.3%
The thirteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(November 16, 2006)
November 17, 2006
~ November 16, 2016
11,431
1,143,100
Common Stock
U.S.$ 40.05
     6.3%
The fourteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(November 14, 2007)
November 14, 2007
~ November 13, 2017
  6,760
676,000
Common Stock
   ¥ 5,514
      _
The fifteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(November 14, 2007)
November 14, 2007
~ November 13, 2017
12,824
1,282,400
Common Stock
U.S.$ 48.15
      _
The sixteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(November 18, 2008)
November 18, 2009
~ November 17, 2018
7,397
739,700
Common Stock
  ¥ 2,987
      _
The seventeenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights  (November 18, 2008)
November 18, 2009
~ November 17, 2018
13,431
1,343,100
Common Stock
U.S.$ 30.24
     3.6%
The eighteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(December 9, 2009)
December 9, 2010
~ December 8, 2019
7,360
736,000
Common Stock
  ¥ 2,595
       0.3%
The nineteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights  (December 9, 2009)
December 9, 2010
~ December 8, 2019
13,750
1,375,000
Common Stock
U.S.$ 29.56
      0.7%
The twentieth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
(November 18, 2010)
November 18, 2011
~ November 17, 2020
7,514
751,400
Common Stock
  ¥ 2,945
      _
The twenty-first series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights  (November 18, 2010)
November 18, 2011
~ November 17, 2020
14,395
1,439,500
Common Stock
U.S.$ 35.48
      _
The twenty-second series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights  (November 22, 2011)
November 22, 2012
~November 21, 2021
8,335
833,500
Common Stock
¥1,523
      _
The twenty-third series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights  (November 22, 2011)
November 22, 2012
~November 21, 2021
16,661
1,666,100
Common Stock
U.S.$ 19.44
      _
The twenty-fourth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights  (December 4, 2012)
December 4, 2013
~ December 3, 2022
6,860
686,000
Common Stock
¥932
      _
The twenty-fifth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights  (December 4, 2012)
December 4, 2013
~ December 3, 2022
11,235
1,123,500
Common Stock
U.S.$ 11.23
      _
 
Note:
All series of Stock Acquisition Rights were issued for the purpose of granting stock options.  No cash payment was required for the allocation.

 
15

 

(1)  
Stock Acquisition Rights held by Directors and Corporate Executive Officers of the Corporation (as of March 31, 2013)

Name
Directors (Excluding Outside Directors) and Corporate Executive Officers Outside Directors
Number of shares to be issued or transferred
Number
of holders
Number of shares to be issued or transferred
Number of holders
  The fourth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
21,000 
  The sixth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
225,000 
  The seventh series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
47,500 
  The ninth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
230,000 
  The tenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
141,600 
1,800 
  The eleventh series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
334,600 
  The twelfth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
144,900 
1,800 
  The thirteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
454,000 
  The fourteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
140,200 
3,600 
  The fifteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
460,000 
  The sixteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
153,000 
10,800 
  The seventeenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
560,000 
  The eighteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
139,000 
10,800 
  The nineteenth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
580,000 
  The twentieth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
154,000 
16,200 
  The twenty-first series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
580,000 
  The twenty-second series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
140,000 
  The twenty-third series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
610,000 
  The twenty-fourth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
180,000 
  The twenty-fifth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
230,000 

 
(2)
Stock Acquisition Rights allocated to employees and others by the Corporation during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013
 
The details of these Stock Acquisition Rights are mentioned in the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights above.
 
Stock Acquisition Rights allocated to employees of the Corporation, directors and employees of the Corporation’s subsidiaries
 
Name
Employees of the Corporation Directors and employees of the Corporation’s subsidiaries
Number of shares to be issued or transferred
Number of persons allocated
Number of shares to be issued or transferred
Number of persons allocated
  The twenty-fourth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
296,400 
182 
212,300 
179 
  The twenty-fifth series of Common Stock Acquisition Rights
23,700 
922,600 
668 


Dated:  June 3, 2013
 
 
 
 
16
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
SIGNATURE
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
         
  SONY CORPORATION
(Registrant)


 
  By:   /s/ Masaru Kato  
    (Signature) 

Masaru Kato
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
 
       
 
June 3, 2013