Ask Jeeves Announces that Executives and Directors Enter into Stock Sale Plans(email this article)

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ask Jeeves (Company Profile, Past Stories, Case Studies), Inc. (Nasdaq: ASKJ - News) announced today that five of its executive officers, including George A. "Skip" Battle, CEO, Steve Berkowitz, President, and Steve Sordello, CFO, and four of its directors (including Mr. Battle) entered into separate 10b5-1 sales plans for the purpose of selling certain predetermined amounts of their Company stock holdings. Under the plans, the executive officers and directors may sell up to an aggregate of approximately 1,600,000 shares of Common Stock, subject to certain predetermined minimum price conditions, from August 18, 2003 through August 18, 2004. An aggregate of approximately 600,000 shares were sold on August 18, 2003 pursuant to these plans. Messrs. Battle, Berkowitz and Sordello have informed the Company that, after this initial sale of shares for purposes of investment diversification and payment of tax liabilities, their intention is to each retain a significant ownership interest in Ask Jeeves and to sell fewer shares than they have vesting from current grants.

Skip Battle, CEO of Ask Jeeves, commented, "We view stock options as compensation. These plans will allow executive officers to sell stock, including shares purchased upon the exercise of stock options, in an orderly manner." Rule 10b5-1 stock plans permit insiders to implement a written plan to sell stock on a pre- determined basis (for example, weekly or monthly or in accordance with a formula). At the time of implementation, executive officers and directors of the Company cannot be in possession of material non-public information.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements regarding the future are forward-looking statements. The matters discussed in those statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the financial performance of the Company; the price of the Company's common stock; and the personal financial and other circumstances of the Company's executive officers and directors. As a relatively short announcement, this press release cannot present a full discussion of such risks. Further information on risk factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included in its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward- looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, investors and others should not conclude that the Company will make additional updates with respect thereto or with respect to other forward- looking statements.

About Ask Jeeves, Inc.

Ask Jeeves, Inc. is a provider of Web-wide search technologies, providing consumers with authoritative and fast ways to find relevant information to their everyday searches. Ask Jeeves deploys its search technologies on Ask Jeeves (Ask.com and Ask.co.uk), Teoma.com, and Ask Jeeves for Kids (AJKids.com). In addition to its Web sites, Ask Jeeves syndicates its monetized search technology and advertising units to a network of affiliate partners. Ask Jeeves is based in Emeryville, California, with offices in New York, Boston, New Jersey, Los Angeles and London.

For more information, visit http://www.Ask.com or call +1-510-985-7400.

NOTE: Ask Jeeves, Ask.com and Teoma are registered trademarks and Ask Jeeves for Kids is a trademark of Ask Jeeves, Inc.