Section 4.Directors and Board of Directors |
| Article 192 | The board of directors of a company shall have at least three directors who shall be elected by the shareholders’ meeting from among the persons with disposing capacity.
A company may choose not to have the board of directors but to have one or two directors. For a company with only one director, such director shall be the chairman and the functional duties and powers of the board of directors of such company shall be exercised by such director, and the provisions governing the board of directors as set out in this Act shall not apply to such company. The provisions governing the board of directors as set out in this Act shall apply mutatis mutandis to a company with two directors.
For a public company, if the percentage of shareholdings of all the directors selected in accordance with Paragraph One is subject to the provisions separately prescribed by the competent authority in charge of securities affairs, such provisions shall prevail.
The provisions set out in Article 15-2 and Article 85 of The Civil Code shall not apply to the disposing capacity set forth in Paragraph One of this Article.
Unless otherwise provided for in this Act, the relations between the company and its directors shall be governed by the provisions of the Civil Code pertaining to the mandate.
The provisions set out in Article 30 hereof shall apply mutatis mutandis to the directors of a company.
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| Article 192-1 | In case a candidates nomination system is adopted by a company for election of the directors of the company, the adoption of such system shall be expressly stipulated in the Articles of Incorporation of the company; and the shareholders shall elect the directors from among the nominees listed in the roster of director candidates. However, a public company satisfied with the conditions in terms of company’s scale, shareholder number, shareholder structure and other essential factors stipulated by the competent authority in charge of securities affairs shall adopt such candidates nomination system and such adoption shall be expressly stipulated in the Articles of Incorporation of the company.
The company shall, prior to the share transfer suspension date dedicated before the meeting date of a shareholders’ meeting, announce in a public notice, the period for accepting the nomination of director candidates, the quota of directors to be elected, the place designated for accepting the roster of director candidates nominated, and other necessary matters. The length of the period for accepting the nomination of director candidates shall not be shorter than ten (10) days.
Any shareholder holding 1% or more of the total number of outstanding shares issued by the company may submit to the company in writing a roster of director candidates, provided that the total number of director candidates so nominated shall not exceed the quota of the directors to be elected. This restrictive condition shall also be applicable to the roster of director candidates nominated by the board of directors of the company.
The roster of director candidates submitted by a shareholder as prescribed in the preceding Paragraph shall describe the name, education background and past work experience of the director candidates.
The board of directors or other authorized conveners of shareholders’ meetings shall examine and/or screen the data and information of each director candidate nominated; and shall, unless under any of the following circumstances, include all qualified director candidates in the final roster of director candidates accordingly:
- Where the roster of director candidates is submitted by the nominating shareholder beyond the deadline fixed for accepting such candidates roster;
- Where the number of shares of the company being held by the nominating shareholder is less than 1% of the total number of outstanding shares of the company at the time when the share transfer registration is suspended by the company in accordance with the provisions set out in Paragraph II or Paragraph III, Article 165 of this Act;
- Where the number of director candidates nominated exceeds the quota of the directors to be elected; or
- Where the roster of director candidates submitted by a shareholder fails to describe the name, education background and past work experience of the director candidates.
The company shall, no later than 25 days prior to the scheduled meeting date of a regular shareholders’ meeting or no later than 15 days prior to the scheduled meeting date of a special shareholders’ meeting, have the roster of director candidates and their education background and past work experience published in a public notice; for a public company, such a public notice shall be published no later than 40 days prior to the scheduled meeting date of a regular shareholders’ meeting or no later than 25 days prior to the scheduled meeting date of a special shareholders’ meeting.
The responsible person or other authorized conveners of a company who violates the provisions set out in Paragraph Two or the preceding two Paragraphs of this Article shall be imposed with a fine of not less than NT$10,000, but not more than NT$50,000; for a public company, the responsible person or other authorized conveners of a company shall be imposed with a fine by the competent authority in charge of securities affairs of not less than NT$240,000 but not more than NT$2,400,000.
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| Article 193 | The Board of Directors, in conducting business, shall act in accordance with laws and ordinances, the Articles of Incorporation, and the resolutions adopted at the meetings of shareholders.
Where any resolution adopted by the Board of Directors contravenes the preceding Paragraph, thereby causing loss or damage to the company, all directors taking part in the adoption of such resolution shall be liable to compensate the company for such loss or damage; however, those directors whose disagreement appears on record or is expressed in writing shall be exempted from liability.
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| Article 193-1 | A company may obtain directors liability insurance with respect to liabilities resulting from exercising their duties during their terms of directorship.
A company shall report the insured amount, coverage, premium rate, and other important contents of the directors liability insurance it has obtained or renewed for directors, at the most recent board meeting.
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| Article 194 | In case the board of directors decide, by resolution, to commit any act in violation of any law, ordinance or the company's Articles of Incorporation, any shareholder who has continuously held the shares of the company for a period of one year or longer may request the board of directors to discontinue such act.
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| Article 195 | The term of office of a director shall not exceed three years; but he/she may be eligible for re-election.
In case no election of new directors is effected after expiration of the term of office of existing directors, the term of office of out-going directors shall be extended until the time new directors have been elected and assumed their office. However, the competent authority may, ex officio, order the company to elect new directors within a given time limit; and if no re-election is effected after expiry of the given time limit, the out-going directors shall be discharged ipso facto from such expiration date.
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| Article 196 | The remuneration of directors, if not prescribed in the Articles of Incorporation, shall be determined by a meeting of shareholders and cannot be ratified by a meeting of shareholders.
The provision set forth in Article 29, Paragraph 2 hereof shall apply mutatis mutandis to the directors of a company.
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| Article 197 | Each director shall, after having been elected, declare to the competent authority the number and amount of the shares of the company being held by him/her at the time when he/she is elected. In case a director of a company whose shares are issued to the public that has transferred, during the term of office as a director, more than one half of the company's shares being held by him/her at the time he/she is elected, he/she shall, ipso facto, be discharged from the office of director.
If the number of company's shares held by a director is increased or reduced during his/her term of office as a director, he/she shall declare such change to the competent authority and shall place a public notice of such a fact.
If any director of a company whose shares are issued to the public, after having been elected and before his/her inauguration of the office of director, has transferred more than one half of the total number of shares of the company he/she holds at the time of his/her election as such; or had transferred more than one half of the total number of shares he/she held within the share transfer prohibition period fixed prior to the convention of a shareholders' meeting, then his/her election as a director shall become invalid.
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| Article 197-1 | Upon creation or cancellation of a pledge on the company's shares held by a director, a notice of such action shall be given to the company, and the company shall, in turn and within 15 days after such pledge creation/ cancellation date, have the change of pledge over such shares reported to the competent authority and declared in a public notice; unless otherwise provided for in any rules or regulations separately prescribed by the authority in charge of securities affairs.
In case a director of a company whose shares are issued to the public has created a pledge on the company’s shares more than half of the company’s shares being held by him/her/it at the time he/she/it is elected, the voting power of the excessive portion of shares shall not be exercised and the excessive portion of shares shall not be counted in the number of votes of shareholders present at the meeting.
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| Article 198 | In the process of electing directors at a shareholders' meeting, the number of votes exercisable in respect of one share shall be the same as the number of directors to be elected, and the total number of votes per share may be consolidated for election of one candidate or may be split for election of two or more candidates. A candidate to whom the ballots cast represent a prevailing number of votes shall be deemed a director elect.
The provision of Article 178 hereof shall not apply to the voting power referred to in the preceding Paragraph.
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| Article 199 | A director may be discharged at any time by a resolution adopted at a shareholders' meeting provided, however, that if a director is discharged during the term of his/her office as a director without good cause shown, the said director may make a claim against the company for any and all damages sustained by him/her as a result of such discharge.
A resolution required for discharging a director under the preceding Paragraph may be adopted only by a majority of the shareholders present who represent two-thirds or more of the total number of its outstanding shares by the company.
For a company whose shares are issued to the public, if the total number of shares represented by the shareholders present at a shareholders' meeting is less than the quorum set forth in the preceding Paragraph, the resolution required for discharging a director may be adopted by two-thirds (2/3) of the total votes of the shareholders present at the shareholders' meeting attended by the shareholders representing a majority of the total number of outstanding shares issued by the company.
Where higher requirements of the quorum of a shareholders' meeting and the number of votes are specified in the Articles of Incorporation of a company, such higher requirements shall prevail.
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| Article 199-1 | Where all directors of a company are re-elected, prior to the expiration of the term of office of existing directors, and in the absence of a resolution that existing directors will not be discharged until the expiry of their present term of office, all existing directors shall be deemed discharged in advance.
The aforesaid re-election shall be attended by shareholders who represent more than one-half of the total number of issued and outstanding shares.
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| Article 200 | In case a director has, in the course of performing his/her duties, committed any act resulting in material damages to the company or in serious violation of applicable laws and/or regulations, but not discharged by a resolution of the shareholders' meeting, the shareholder(s) holding 3% or more of the total number of outstanding shares of the company may, within 30 days after that shareholders' meeting, institute a lawsuit in the court for a judgment in respect of such matter.
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| Article 201 | When the number of vacancies in the board of directors of a company equals to one third of the total number of directors, the board of directors shall call, within 30 days, a special meeting of shareholders to elect succeeding directors to fill the vacancies. However, in the case of a company whose shares are issued to the public, the special meeting of shareholders for electing succeeding directors shall be convened by the board of directors within 60 days.
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| Article 202 | Business operations of a company shall be executed pursuant to the resolutions to be adopted by the board of directors, except for the matters the execution of which shall be effected pursuant the resolutions of the shareholders' meeting as required by this Act or the Articles of Incorporation of the company.
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| Article 203 | The first meeting of each term of the board of directors shall be convened by the director who received a ballot representing the largest number of votes at the election of directors within 15 days after the re-election. However, in case the re-election of directors was conducted prior to the expiration of the term of office of the directors of the preceding term, and a resolution was adopted not to discharge the directors of the preceding term until the expiration of the term of their offices as directors, the first meeting of the newly elected directors shall be convened within 15 days after expiration of the term of office of the directors of the preceding term.
Where directors are elected prior to the expiration of the term of office of the directors of the preceding term, and a resolution is adopted not to discharge the directors of the preceding term until the expiration of the term of office of the preceding term, the chairman, the vice chairman and the managing directors of the newly elected board of directors may be carried out prior to the expiration of the term of office of the directors of the preceding term, free from the binding of the provisions of the preceding Paragraph.
Where the number of directors attending the first meeting of the newly elected board of directors is less than the minimum quorum of the meeting of the board of directors convened for election of the chairman and the managing directors of the board of directors, then the original convener shall resume the meeting within 15 days to conduct the election, and may apply the resolution adopting method set forth in Article 206 of this Act.
In case the director elect receiving the a ballot representing the largest number of votes fails to convene the meeting of the board of directors within the time limit set out in Paragraph One or the preceding Paragraph of this Article, then the majority or more of the directors elect may convene the meeting on their own.
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| Article 203-1 | Meetings of the board of directors shall be convened by the chairman of the board of directors.
The majority or more of the directors may, by filing a written proposal setting forth therein the subjects for discussions and the reasons, request the chairman of the board of directors to convene a meeting of the board of directors.
If the chairman of the board of directors fails to convene a meeting of board of directors within 15 days after the filing of the request under the preceding paragraph, the proposing directors may convene a meeting of board of directors on their own.
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| Article 204 | In calling a meeting of the board of directors, a notice shall be given to each director and supervisor no later than 3 days prior to the scheduled meeting date. However, where there is any longer days required in the Articles of Incorporation, such longer days shall prevail.
The time limit on giving a notice to the directors and supervisors for convening a meeting of board of directors in a public company shall be prescribed by the competent authority in charge of securities affairs and the preceding paragraph shall not apply to a public company.
In the case of emergency, a meeting of the board of directors may be convened at any time.
The notice set forth in the preceding three Paragraph may be effected by means of electronic transmission, after obtaining a prior consent from the recipient(s) thereof.
In calling a meeting of the board of directors, a notice shall set forth therein the subject(s) to be discussed at the meeting
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| Article 205 | Each director shall attend the meeting of the board of directors in person, unless as otherwise provided for in the Articles of Incorporation that a director may be represented by another director.
In case a meeting of the board of directors is proceeded via visual communication network, then the directors taking part in such a visual communication meeting shall be deemed to have attended the meeting in person.
In case a director appoints another director to attend a meeting of the board of directors in his/her behalf, he/she shall, in each time, issue a written proxy and state therein the scope of authority with reference to the subjects to be discussed at the meeting.
A director may accept the appointment to act as the proxy referred to in the preceding Paragraph of one other director only.
A company may explicitly provide for in its Articles of Incorporation that if it is agreed by all directors, any action to be taken at a meeting of the board of directors may be taken, without a meeting, by written consents to exercise their voting power.
A meeting of the board of directors held in accordance with the preceding paragraph shall be deemed to have been convened; the directors who exercise their voting power by written consents shall be deemed to have attend the meeting in person.
The preceding two paragraphs shall not apply to a public company.
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| Article 206 | Unless otherwise provided for in this Act, resolutions of the Board of Directors shall be adopted by a majority of the directors at a meeting attended by a majority of the directors.
A director who has a personal interest in the matter under discussion at a board meeting shall explain to the board meeting the essential contents of such personal interest.
Where the spouse, a blood relative within the second degree of kinship of a director, or any company which has a controlling or subordinate relation with a director has interests in the matters under discussion in the meeting of the preceding paragraph, such director shall be deemed to have a personal interest in the matter.
The provisions of Article 178 and Article 180, paragraph 2 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the resolutions set forth in Paragraph 1.
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| Article 207 | Minutes shall be taken of the proceedings of the meeting of the board of directors.
The provisions of Article 183 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the aforesaid minutes.
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| Article 208 | In case a company has no managing directors, the board of directors shall elect a chairman of the board directors from among the directors by a majority vote at a meeting attended by over two-thirds of the directors, and may also elect in the same manner a vice chairman of the board in accordance with the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation.
In case a company has managing directors, the managing directors shall be elected from among the directors in accordance with the manner set forth in the preceding Paragraph provided that the number of managing directors shall not be less than three persons but not more than one-third of the total number of directors. The chairman or the vice chairman of the board shall be elected from the managing directors in accordance with the same manner set forth in the preceding Paragraph.
The chairman of the board of directors shall internally preside the shareholders' meeting, the meeting of the board of directors, and the meeting of the managing directors; and shall externally represent the company. In case the chairman of the board of directors is on leave or absent or can not exercise his power and authority for any cause, the vice chairman shall act on his behalf. In case there is no vice chairman, or the vice chairman is also on leave or absent or unable to exercise his power and authority for any cause, the chairman of the board of directors shall designate one of the managing directors, or where there is no managing directors, one of the directors to act on his behalf. In the absence of such a designation, the managing directors or the directors shall elect from among themselves an acting chairman of the board of directors.
During the recess of the board of directors, the managing directors shall regularly exercise the power and authority of the board of directors in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations and the Articles of Incorporations of the company, and the resolutions adopted by the shareholders' meetings and the meetings of the board of directors by conferences to be called from time to time by the chairman of the board of directors; with the resolutions to be adopted by a majority of managing directors present at such conferences attended by a majority of managing directors.
The provisions set out in Article 57 and Article 58 hereof shall apply mutatis mutandis to directors representing the company.
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| Article 208-1 | In case the board of directors fails or is unable to exercise its power and authority to the extent which is likely to cause damage to the company, the court may, at the petition of interested party or parties or a public prosecutor, appoint one or more temporary manager to exercise the power and authority of the chairman of the board of directors and the board of directors instead provided, however, that he/she shall not commit any act unfavorable to the company.
Upon appointment of the temporary manager under the preceding Paragraph, the court shall request the competent authority to make appropriate registration of such appointment.
Upon discharge of the temporary manager appointed hereunder, the court shall request the competent authority to cancel the registration of his appointment.
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| Article 209 | A director who does anything for himself or on behalf of another person that is within the scope of the company's business, shall explain to the meeting of shareholders the essential contents of such an act and secure its approval.
The aforesaid approval shall be given upon a resolution adopted by a majority of the shareholders present who represent two-thirds or more of the total number of its outstanding shares.
For a company whose share certificates have been publicly issued, if the total number of shares represented by shareholders present at a shareholders' meeting is not sufficient to meet the criteria specified in the preceding paragraph, the resolution may be adopted by a large majority of two thirds of the voting powers of the shareholders present at a shareholders' meeting who present a majority of the total number of issued shares.
Where stricter criteria for the total number of shares represented by the attending shareholders and the required number of votes at the shareholders' meeting set forth in the preceding two paragraphs are specified in the Articles of Incorporation, such stricter criteria shall govern.
In case a director does anything for himself or on behalf of another person in violation of the provisions of Paragraph 1, the meeting of shareholders may, by a resolution, consider the earnings in such an act as earnings of the company unless one year has lapsed since the realization of such earnings.
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| Article 210 | Subject to the provisions otherwise provided for by the competent authority in charge of securities affairs, the board of directors shall keep at the head office of the company copies of the Articles of Incorporation, the minutes of every meeting of the shareholders and the financial statements, and shall keep at the head office of the company or the business office of its shareholder service agent the shareholders roster and the counterfoil of corporate bonds issued by the company.
Any shareholder and any creditor of a company may request at any time, by submitting evidentiary document(s) to show his/her interests involved and indicating the scope of interested matters, an access to inspect, transcribe and to make copies of the Articles of Incorporation and accounting books and records referred to in the preceding paragraph; if the Articles of Incorporation and accounting books and records are kept in a shareholder service agent, the company shall make such agent to provide with the access.
The director representing a company who violates the provisions set out in Paragraph One hereinabove by not making the Articles of Incorporation and accounting books and records available shall be imposed with a fine of not less than NT$ 10,000 but not more than NT$ 50,000; for a public company, the director representing a company shall be imposed with a fine by the competent authority in charge of securities affairs of not less than NT$240,000 but not more than NT$2,400,000.
The director representing a company who violates the provisions set out in Paragraph Two by refusing the inspection, transcription or copying of relevant information or fails to make the shareholder service agent to provide with the access without good cause shown shall be imposed with a fine of not less than NT$ 10,000 but not more than NT$ 50,000; for a public company, the director representing a company shall be imposed with a fine by the competent authority in charge of securities affairs of not less than NT$240,000 but not more than NT$2,400,000.
Under the circumstances of the preceding two paragraphs, the competent authority or the competent authority in charge of securities affairs shall notify the company to rectify its law violating act within a given time limit; and if the company fails to take corrective action beyond the given time limit, the competent authority or the competent authority in charge of securities affairs shall continually notify the company to rectify its law violating act within a given time limit and impose the fine consecutively for each time of non-compliance until the law violating act is rectified.
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| Article 210-1 | The board of directors or other authorized conveners of shareholders’ meetings may require a company or its shareholder service agent to provide with the roster of shareholders.
The director representing a company who refuses to provide with the roster of shareholders shall be imposed with a fine of not less than NT$ 10,000 but not more than NT$ 50,000; for a public company, the director representing a company shall be imposed with a fine by the competent authority in charge of securities affairs of not less than NT$240,000 but not more than NT$2,400,000.
A shareholder service agent who refuses to provide with the roster of shareholders shall be imposed with a fine by the competent authority in charge of securities affairs of not less than NT$240,000 but not more than NT$2,400,000.
Under the circumstances of the preceding two paragraphs, the competent authority or the competent authority in charge of securities affairs shall notify the company to rectify its law violating act within a given time limit; and if the company fails to take corrective action beyond the given time limit, the competent authority or the competent authority in charge of securities affairs shall continually notify the company to rectify its law violating act within a given time limit and impose the fine consecutively for each time of non-compliance until the law violating act is rectified.
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| Article 211 | In case the loss incurred by a company aggregates to one half of its paid-in capital, the board of directors shall convene and make a report to the most recent meeting of shareholders.
Subject to the provisions set out in Article 282 of this Act, in case the assets of a company is insufficient to set off its liabilities, the board of directors shall apply to the court for pronouncement of its bankruptcy.
The director(s) authorized to represent the company who has (have) violated the provisions of the preceding two Paragraphs shall be imposed with a fine of not less than NT$ 20,000 but not more than NT$ 100,000.
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| Article 212 | In case the shareholders' meeting of a company resolves to institute an action against a director, the company shall, within 30 days from the date of such resolution, institute the action.
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| Article 213 | In case of a lawsuit between the company and a director, the supervisor shall act on behalf of the company, unless otherwise provided by law; and the meeting of shareholders may also appoint some other person to act on behalf of the company in a lawsuit.
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| Article 214 | Shareholder(s) who has/have been continuously holding 1% or more of the total number of the outstanding shares of the company over six months may request in writing the supervisors of the company to institute, for the company, an action against a director of the company.
In case the supervisors fails to institute an action within 30 days after having received the request made under the preceding Paragraph, then the shareholders filing such request under the preceding Paragraph may institute the action for the company; and under such circumstance, the court may, at the petition of the defendant, order the suing shareholders to furnish an appropriate security. In case the suing shareholders become the loser in that lawsuit and thus causing any damage to the company, the suing shareholders shall be liable for indemnifying the company for such damage.
The shareholder(s) who initiate(s) the action in accordance with the preceding paragraph may temporarily be exempted from paying the portion of the court costs in excess of NT$600,000 if the amount of court costs collected is more than NT$ 600,000.
In the action initiated in accordance with the provision of Paragraph Two, the court may, on motion, appoint an attorney as an advocate for the plaintiff.
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| Article 215 | Where a lawsuit instituted under paragraph 2 of the preceding article is found by a final judgment to be based on facts apparently untrue, the shareholders who instituted the action shall be liable to compensate the defendant director for loss or damage resulting from such an action.
Where a lawsuit instituted under paragraph 2 of the preceding article is found by a final judgment to be based on facts apparently true, the defendant director shall be liable to compensate the shareholders who instituted the action for loss or damage resulting from such an action.
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