22 December 2009—Reference is made to the joint press releases of Canon Inc. (trading symbol CAJ) ("Canon") and Océ N.V. (trading symbol OCE) ("Océ") of 16 November 2009 announcing that Canon intends to make a fully self-funded, public cash offer for all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Océ (the "Ordinary Shares") at an offer price of € 8.60 in cash per Ordinary Share (the "Offer") and 14 December 2009 in respect of the progress being made on the preparations of the Offer.
Today, Canon and Océ jointly announce that the Swiss competition authorities have granted clearance for Canon's proposed acquisition of Océ without imposing any conditions. As announced on 21 December 2009, the anti-trust procedure in the United States is also completed.
Clearance from the EU and Taiwanese competition authorities is still to be obtained, but the filing procedures are on track.
This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or an invitation to acquire or dispose of any securities or investment advice or an inducement to enter into investment activity. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy or acquire the securities of Canon or Océ in any jurisdiction.
The distribution of this press release may, in some countries, be restricted by law or regulation. Accordingly, persons who come into possession of this document should inform themselves of and observe these restrictions. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Canon and Océ disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of any such restrictions by any person. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of that jurisdiction. Neither Canon, nor Océ, nor any of their advisors assumes any responsibility for any violation by any person of any of these restrictions. Any Océ shareholder who is in any doubt as to his position should consult an appropriate professional advisor without delay.
This press release is also published in Dutch; the English version will prevail over the Dutch version.
