80_FR_53535 80 FR 53364 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change Related to Fees for a Market Data Product Known as EDGX Book Viewer

80 FR 53364 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change Related to Fees for a Market Data Product Known as EDGX Book Viewer

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 171 (September 3, 2015)

Page Range53364-53369
FR Document2015-21873

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 171 (Thursday, September 3, 2015)
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 171 (Thursday, September 3, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53364-53369]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21873]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-75788; File No. SR-EDGX-2015-38]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of 
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change Related to 
Fees for a Market Data Product Known as EDGX Book Viewer

August 28, 2015.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(the ``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given 
that on August 24, 2015, EDGX Exchange, Inc. (the ``Exchange'' or 
``EDGX'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II 
and III below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The 
Exchange has designated the proposed rule change as one establishing or 
changing a member due, fee, or other charge imposed by the Exchange 
under Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act \3\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(2) 
thereunder,\4\ which renders the proposed rule change effective upon 
filing with the Commission. The Commission is publishing this notice to

[[Page 53365]]

solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \3\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
    \4\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange filed a proposal to amend the Market Data section of 
its fee schedule to adopt fees for a market data product called EDGX 
Book Viewer.
    The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange's 
Web site at www.batstrading.com, at the principal office of the 
Exchange, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements 
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and 
discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The 
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in 
Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in 
Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant parts of such 
statements.

(A) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose
    The Exchange proposes to amend the Market Data section of its fee 
schedule to adopt fees for a market data product called EDGX Book 
Viewer. EDGX Book Viewer is a data feed that disseminates, on a real-
time basis, the aggregated two-side quotations for up to five (5) price 
levels for all displayed orders for securities traded on the Exchange 
and for which the Exchanges reports quotes under the Consolidated Tape 
Association (``CTA'') Plan or the Nasdaq/UTP Plan. EDGX Book Viewer 
also contains the last ten (10) trades including time of trade, price 
and share quantity.\5\ EDGX Book Viewer is currently available via 
www.batstrading.com without charge.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 75713 (August 17, 
2015), 80 FR 50896 (August 21, 2015) (SR-EDGX-2015-36) (Notice of 
Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change to 
Amend Rule 13.8 to Describe the Market Data Product EDGX Book 
Viewer).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange now proposes to amend its fee schedule to incorporate 
fees for distribution of EDGX Book Viewer to subscribers.\6\ EDGX Book 
Viewer will remain available via www.batstrading.com for viewing 
without charge. The proposed fees include the following, each of which 
are described in detail below: (i) Distribution Fees for both Internal 
and External Distributors; \7\ (ii) Usage Fees for both Professional 
\8\ and Non-Professional \9\ Users; \10\ (iii) an Enterprise Fee; \11\ 
and (iv) a Digital Media Enterprise Fee.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ The Exchange notes that its affiliated exchanges, EDGA 
Exchange, Inc. (``EDGA''), BATS Y-Exchange, Inc. (``BYX'') and BATS 
Exchange, Inc. (``BZX'', together with the Exchange, EDGA and BYX, 
the ``BATS Exchanges''), also intent to file proposed rule changes 
with Commission to adopt similar fees for their respective Book 
Viewer market data product.
    \7\ A ``Distributor'' is defined as ``any entity that receives 
the Exchange Market Data product directly from the Exchange or 
indirectly through another entity and then distributes it internally 
or externally to a third party.'' See the Exchange Fee Schedule 
available at http://batstrading.com/support/fee_schedule/edgx/. An 
``Internal Distributor'' is defined as ``a Distributor that receives 
the Exchange Market Data product and then distributes that data to 
one or more Users within the Distributor's own entity.'' Id. An 
``External Distributor'' is defined as ``a Distributor that receives 
the Exchange Market Data product and then distributes that data to a 
third party or one or more Users outside the Distributor's own 
entity.'' Id.''
    \8\ A ``Professional User'' is defined as ``any User other than 
a Non-Professional User.'' See the Exchange Fee Schedule available 
at http://batstrading.com/support/fee_schedule/edgx/.
    \9\ A ``Non-Professional User'' is defined as ``a natural person 
who is not: (i) registered or qualified in any capacity with the 
Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, any state 
securities agency, any securities exchange or association, or any 
commodities or futures contract market or association; (ii) engaged 
as an ``investment adviser'' as that term is defined in Section 
[202(a)(11)] of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (whether or not 
registered or qualified under that Act); or (iii) employed by a bank 
or other organization exempt from registration under federal or 
state securities laws to perform functions that would require 
registration or qualification if such functions were performed for 
an organization not so exempt.'' Id.
    \10\ The Exchange notes that User fees as well as the 
distinctions based on professional and non-professional users have 
been previously filed with or approved by the Commission by the BATS 
Exchanges and the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (``Nasdaq''). See 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 59582 (March 16, 2009), 74 FR 
12423 (March 24, 2009) (Order approving SR-Nasdaq-2008-102). See 
also See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 74285 (February 18, 
2015), 80 FR 9828 (February 24, 2015) (SR-BATS-2015-11); 74283 
(February 18, 2015), 80 FR 9809 (February 24, 2015) (SR-EDGA-2015-
09); 74282 (February 17, 2015), 80 FR 9487 (February 23, 2015) (SR-
EDGX-2015-09); and 74284 (February 18, 2015), 80 FR 9792 (February 
24, 2015) (SR-BYX-2015-09) (``Initial BATS One Feed Fee Filings'').
    \11\ The Exchange notes that Enterprise fees have been 
previously filed with or approved by the Commission by the Exchange, 
EDGA, BYX, BZX, Nasdaq, NYSE, and the CTA/CQ Plans. See Nasdaq Rule 
7047. Securities Exchange Act Release Nos. 71507 (February 7, 2014), 
79 FR 8763 (February 13, 2014) (SR-NASDAQ-2014-011); 70211 (August 
15, 2013), 78 FR 51781 (August 21, 2013) (SR-NYSE-2013-58); and 
70010 (July 19, 2013) (File No. SR-CTA/CQ-2013-04). See also the 
Initial BATS One Feed Fee Filings, supra note 10.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Distribution Fees. As proposed, each Internal Distributor that 
receives EDGX Book Viewer shall pay a fee of $500 per month. The 
Exchange does not propose to charge any User fees for EDGX Book Viewer 
where the data is received and subsequently internally distributed to 
Professional or Non-Professional Users. In addition, the Exchange 
proposes to charge External Distributors that receives EDGX Book Viewer 
a fee of $2,500 per month.
    User Fees. The Exchange proposes to charge those who receive EDGX 
Book Viewer from External Distributors different fees for both their 
Professional Users and Non-Professional Users. The Exchange will assess 
a monthly fee for Professional Users of $3.00 per User. Non-
Professional Users will be assessed a monthly fee of $0.15 per User. 
The Exchange does not propose to charge per User fees to Internal 
Distributors.
    External Distributors that receives EDGX Book Viewer would be 
required to count every Professional User and Non-Professional User to 
which they provide EDGX Book Viewer, the requirements for which are 
identical to that currently in place for the BATS One Feed.\12\ Thus, 
the External Distributor's count will include every person and device 
that accesses the data regardless of the purpose for which the 
individual or device uses the data. External Distributors must report 
all Professional and Non-Professional Users in accordance with the 
following:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ See the Initial BATS One Feed Fee Filings, supra note 10.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     In connection with an External Distributor's distribution 
of EDGX Book Viewer, the Distributor should count as one User each 
unique User that the Distributor has entitled to have access to EDGX 
Book Viewer. However, where a device is dedicated specifically to a 
single individual, the Distributor should count only the individual and 
need not count the device.
     The External Distributor should identify and report each 
unique User. If a User uses the same unique method to gain access to 
EDGX Book Viewer, the Distributor should count that as one User. 
However, if a unique User uses multiple methods to gain access to EDGX 
Book Viewer (e.g., a single User has multiple passwords and user 
identifications), the External Distributor should report all of those 
methods as an individual User.
     External Distributors should report each unique individual 
person who receives access through multiple devices as one User so long 
as each device is dedicated specifically to that individual.
     If an External Distributor entitles one or more 
individuals to use the same

[[Page 53366]]

device, the External Distributor should include only the individuals, 
and not the device, in the count.
    Each External Distributor will receive a credit against its monthly 
Distributor Fee for EDGX Book Viewer equal to the amount of its monthly 
Usage Fees up to a maximum of the Distributor Fee for EDGX Book Viewer. 
For example, an External Distributor will be subject to a $2,500 
monthly Distributor Fee where they receive EDGX Book Viewer. If that 
External Distributor reports User quantities totaling $2,500 or more of 
monthly usage of EDGX Book Viewer, it will pay no net Distributor Fee, 
whereas if that same External Distributor were to report User 
quantities totaling $1,000 of monthly usage, it will pay a net of 
$1,500 for the Distributor Fee. External Distributors will remain 
subject to the per User fees discussed above.
    Enterprise Fee. The Exchange also proposes to establish a $20,000 
per month Enterprise Fee that will permit a recipient firm who receives 
EDGX Book Viewer from an External Distributor to receive the data for 
an unlimited number of Professional and Non-Professional Users. For 
example, if a recipient firm had 15,000 Professional Users who each 
receive EDGX Book Viewer at $3.00 per month, then that recipient firm 
will pay $45,000 per month in Professional Users fees. Under the 
proposed Enterprise Fee, the recipient firm will pay a flat fee of 
$20,000 for an unlimited number of Professional and Non-Professional 
Users for EDGX Book Viewer. A recipient firm must pay a separate 
Enterprise Fee for each External Distributor that controls the display 
of EDGX Book Viewer if it wishes such User to be covered by an 
Enterprise Fee rather than by per User fees. A recipient firm that pays 
the Enterprise Fee will not have to report its number of such Users on 
a monthly basis. However, every six months, a recipient firm must 
provide the Exchange with a count of the total number of natural person 
users of each product, including both Professional and Non-Professional 
Users. Lastly, the proposed Enterprise Fee would be counted towards the 
Distributor Fee credit described above, under which an External 
Distributor receives a credit towards its Distributor Fee equal to the 
amount of its monthly EDGX Book Viewer User fees.
    Digital Media Enterprise Fee. The Exchange proposes to adopt a 
Digital Media Enterprise Fee of $5,000 per month for EDGX Book Viewer. 
As an alternative to proposed User fees discussed above, a recipient 
firm may purchase a monthly Digital Media Enterprise license to receive 
EDGX Book Viewer from an External Distributor to distribute to an 
unlimited number of Professional and Non-Professional Users for viewing 
via television, Web sites, and mobile devices for informational and 
non-trading purposes only without having to account for the extent of 
access to the data or the report the number of Users to the Exchange. 
Lastly, the proposed Digital Media Enterprise Fee would be counted 
towards the Distributor Fee credit described above, under which an 
External Distributor receives a credit towards its Distributor Fee 
equal to the amount of its monthly EDGX Book Viewer User fees.
Implementation Date
    The Exchange proposes to implement the proposed changes to its fee 
schedule on September 8, 2015.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with the objectives of Section 6 of the Act,\13\ in general, and 
furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(4),\14\ in particular, as it is 
designed to provide for the equitable allocation of reasonable dues, 
fees and other charges among its members and other recipients of 
Exchange data. The Exchange believes that the proposed rates are 
equitable and non-discriminatory in that they apply uniformly to all 
recipients of Exchange data. The Exchange believes the proposed fees 
are competitive with those charged by other venues and, therefore, 
reasonable and equitably allocated to recipients. Lastly, the Exchange 
also believes that the proposed fees are reasonable and non-
discriminatory because they will apply uniformly to all recipients of 
Exchange data.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ 15 U.S.C. 78f.
    \14\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange also believes that the proposed rule change is 
consistent with Section 11(A) of the Act \15\ in that it supports (i) 
fair competition among brokers and dealers, among exchange markets, and 
between exchange markets and markets other than exchange markets and 
(ii) the availability to brokers, dealers, and investors of information 
with respect to quotations for and transactions in securities. 
Furthermore, the proposed rule change is consistent with Rule 603 of 
Regulation NMS,\16\ which provides that any national securities 
exchange that distributes information with respect to quotations for or 
transactions in an NMS stock do so on terms that are not unreasonably 
discriminatory. In adopting Regulation NMS, the Commission granted 
self-regulatory organizations and broker-dealers increased authority 
and flexibility to offer new and unique market data to the public. It 
was believed that this authority would expand the amount of data 
available to consumers, and also spur innovation and competition for 
the provision of market data.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ 15 U.S.C. 78k-1.
    \16\ See 17 CFR 242.603.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, the proposed fees would not permit unfair 
discrimination because all of the Exchange's customers and market data 
vendors will be subject to the proposed fees on an equivalent basis. 
EDGX Book Viewer is distributed and purchased on a voluntary basis, in 
that neither the Exchange nor market data distributors are required by 
any rule or regulation to make this data available. Accordingly, 
Distributors and Users can discontinue use at any time and for any 
reason, including due to an assessment of the reasonableness of fees 
charged. Firms have a wide variety of alternative market data products 
from which to choose, such as similar proprietary data products offered 
by other exchanges and consolidated data. Moreover, the Exchange is not 
required to make any proprietary data products available or to offer 
any specific pricing alternatives to any customers.
    In addition, the fees that are the subject of this rule filing are 
constrained by competition. As explained below in the Exchange's 
Statement on Burden on Competition, the existence of alternatives to 
EDGX Book Viewer further ensures that the Exchange cannot set 
unreasonable fees, or fees that are unreasonably discriminatory, when 
vendors and subscribers can elect such alternatives. That is, the 
Exchange competes with other exchanges (and their affiliates) that 
provide similar market data products. If another exchange (or its 
affiliate) were to charge less to distribute its similar product than 
the Exchange charges to consolidate and distribute EDGX Book Viewer, 
prospective Users likely would not subscribe to, or would cease 
subscribing to, EDGX Book Viewer.
    The Exchange notes that the Commission is not required to undertake 
a cost-of-service or rate-making approach. The Exchange believes that, 
even if it were possible as a matter of economic theory, cost-based 
pricing for non-core market data would be so complicated that it could 
not be done practically.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \17\ The Exchange believes that cost-based pricing would be 
impractical because it would create enormous administrative burdens 
for all parties, including the Commission, to cost-regulate a large 
number of participants and standardize and analyze extraordinary 
amounts of information, accounts, and reports. In addition, it is 
impossible to regulate market data prices in isolation from prices 
charged by markets for other services that are joint products. Cost-
based rate regulation would also lead to litigation and may distort 
incentives, including those to minimize costs and to innovate, 
leading to further waste. Under cost-based pricing, the Commission 
would be burdened with determining a fair rate of return, and the 
industry could experience frequent rate increases based on 
escalating expense levels. Even in industries historically subject 
to utility regulation, cost-based ratemaking has been discredited. 
As such, the Exchange believes that cost-based ratemaking would be 
inappropriate for proprietary market data and inconsistent with 
Congress's direction that the Commission use its authority to foster 
the development of the national market system, and that market 
forces will continue to provide appropriate pricing discipline. See 
Appendix C to NYSE's comments to the Commission's 2000 Concept 
Release on the Regulation of Market Information Fees and Revenues, 
which can be found on the Commission's Web site at http://www.sec.gov/rules/concept/s72899/buck1.htm. See also Securities 
Exchange Act Release No. 73816 (December 11, 2014), 79 FR 75200 
(December 17, 2014) (SR-NYSE-2014-64) (Notice of Filing and 
Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change to Establish an 
Access Fee for the NYSE Best Quote and Trades Data Feed, Operative 
December 1, 2014).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 53367]]

    Distributor Fee. The Exchange believes that the proposed 
Distributor Fees are also reasonable, equitably allocated, and not 
unreasonably discriminatory. The fees for Members and non-Members are 
uniform except with respect to reasonable distinctions with respect to 
internal and external distribution.\18\ The Exchange believes that the 
Distributor Fees for EDGX Book Viewer are reasonable and fair in light 
of alternatives offered by other market centers. For example, EDGX Book 
Viewer provides investors with alternative market data and competes 
with similar market data product currently offered by the New York 
Stock Exchange, Inc. (``NYSE'') and the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC 
(``Nasdaq'').\19\ Specifically, the NYSE charges an access fee of 
$5,000 per month for NYSE OpenBook,\20\ which is higher than the 
External Distributor fee proposed herein for EDGX Book Viewer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ The Exchange notes that distinctions based on external 
versus internal distribution have been previously filed with the 
Commission by Nasdaq, Nasdaq OMX BX, and Nasdaq OMX PSX. See Nasdaq 
Rule 019(b); see also Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62876 
(September 9, 2010), 75 FR 56624 (September 16, 2010) (SR-PHLX-2010-
120); Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62907 (September 14, 
2010), 75 FR 57314 (September 20, 2010) (SR-NASDAQ-2010-110); 
Securities Exchange Act Release No. 63442 (December 6, 2010), 75 FR 
77029 (December 10, 2010) (SR-BX-2010-081). See also the Initial 
BATS One Feed Fee Filings, supra note 10.
    \19\ See Nasdaq Rule 7023(a)(1)(C) (describing Nasdaq TotalView 
is a depth-of-book data feed that includes all orders and quotes 
from all Nasdaq members displayed in the Nasdaq Market Center as 
well as the aggregate size of such orders and quotes at each price 
level in the execution functionality of the Nasdaq Market Center). 
See also Nasdaq Book Viewer, a description of which is available at 
https://data.nasdaq.com/Book Viewer.aspx (last visited July 29, 
2015). See NYSE OpenBook available at http://www.nyxdata.com/openbook (last visited July 29, 2015) (providing real-time view of 
the NYSE limit order book).
    \20\ See NYSE Market Data Pricing dated May 2015 available at 
http://www.nyxdata.com/. Nasdaq charges distribution fees ranging 
from $300 for 1-10 subscribers to $75,000 for more than $250 [sic] 
subscribers. See Nasdaq Rule 7023(b)(4).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    User Fees. The Exchange believes that implementing the Professional 
and Non-Professional User fees for EDGX Book Viewer are equitable and 
reasonable because they will result in greater availability to 
Professional and Non-Professional Users. Moreover, introducing a modest 
Non-Professional User fee for EDGX Book Viewer is reasonable because it 
provides an additional method for retail investors to access EDGX Book 
Viewer data by providing the same data that is available to 
Professional Users. The Exchange believes that the proposed fees are 
equitable and not unfairly discriminatory because they will be charged 
uniformly to recipient firms and Users. The fee structure of 
differentiated Professional and Non-Professional fees is utilized by 
the Exchange for the BATS One Feed and has long been used by other 
exchanges for their proprietary data products, and by the Nasdaq UTP 
and the CTA and CQ Plans in order to reduce the price of data to retail 
investors and make it more broadly available.\21\ Offering EDGX Book 
Viewer to Non-Professional Users with the same data available to 
Professional Users results in greater equity among data recipients.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ See the Initial BATS One Feed Fee Filings, supra note 10. 
See also, e.g., Securities Exchange Act Release No. 20002, File No. 
S7-433 (July 22, 1983) (establishing nonprofessional fees for CTA 
data); Nasdaq Rules 7023(b), 7047.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition, the proposed fees are reasonable when compared to 
similar fees for comparable products offered by the NYSE and Nasdaq. 
Specifically, NYSE offers NYSE OpenBook for a monthly fee of $60.00 per 
professional subscriber and $15 per non-professional subscriber.\22\ 
Nasdaq offers Nasdaq BookViewer for the same fees as Nasdaq TotalView, 
which is a monthly fee of $70.00 per professional subscriber and $14 
per non-professional subscriber.\23\ The Exchange's proposed per User 
Fees for EDGX Book Viewer are less than the NYSE and Nasdaq fees.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ See NYSE Market Data Pricing dated May 2015 available at 
http://www.nyxdata.com/.
    \23\ See Nasdaq Rule 7023(b)(2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Enterprise Fee. The proposed Enterprise Fee for EDGX Book Viewer is 
equitable and reasonable as the fees proposed are less than the 
enterprise fees currently charged for Nasdaq Book Viewer, which is 
subject to the exact same fees as Nasdaq TotalView. Nasdaq charges an 
enterprise fee of $100,000 per month for Nasdaq TotalView,\24\ which is 
far greater than the proposed Enterprise Fee of $20,000 per month for 
EDGX Book Viewer. In addition, the Enterprise Fee proposed by the 
Exchange could result in a fee reduction for recipient firms with a 
large number of Professional and Non-Professional Users. If a recipient 
firm has a smaller number of Professional Users of EDGX Book Viewer, 
then it may continue using the per User structure and benefit from the 
per User Fee reductions. By reducing prices for recipient firms with a 
large number of Professional and Non-Professional Users, the Exchange 
believes that more firms may choose to receive and to distribute EDGX 
Book Viewer, thereby expanding the distribution of this market data for 
the benefit of investors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \24\ See Nasdaq Rule 7023(c)(2) (stating that a distributor that 
is also a broker-dealer pays a monthly fee of $100,000 for the right 
to provide Nasdaq TotalView and for display usage for internal 
distribution, or for external distribution to both professional and 
non-professional subscribers with whom the firm has a brokerage 
relationship.) Nasdaq also charges an enterprise fee of $25,000 to 
provide Nasdaq TotalView to an unlimited number of non-professional 
subscribers only. See Nasdaq Rule 7023(c)(1).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Exchange further believes that the proposed Enterprise Fee is 
reasonable because it will simplify reporting for certain recipients 
that have large numbers of Professional and Non-Professional Users. 
Firms that pay the proposed Enterprise Fee will not have to report the 
number of Users on a monthly basis as they currently do, but rather 
will only have to count natural person users every six months, which is 
a significant reduction in administrative burden. Finally, the Exchange 
believes that it is equitable and not unfairly discriminatory to 
establish an Enterprise Fee because it reduces the Exchange's costs and 
the Distributor's administrative burdens in tracking and auditing large 
numbers of Users.
    Digital Media Enterprise Fee. The Exchange believes that the 
proposed Digital Media Enterprise Fee for EDGX Book Viewer provides for 
an equitable allocation of reasonable fees among recipients of the data 
and is not designed to permit unfair discrimination among customers, 
brokers, or dealers. In establishing the Digital Media Enterprise Fee, 
the Exchange recognizes that there is demand for a more seamless and 
easier-to-administer data distribution model that takes into account 
the expanded

[[Page 53368]]

variety of media and communication devices that investors utilize 
today. The Exchange believes the Digital Media Enterprise Fee will be 
easy to administer because data recipients that purchase it would not 
be required to differentiate between Professional and Non-Professional 
Users, account for the extent of access to the data, or report the 
number of Users. This is a significant reduction on a recipient firm's 
administrative burdens and is a significant value to investors. For 
example, a television broadcaster could display EDGX Book Viewer data 
during market-related programming and on its Web site or allow viewers 
to view the data via their mobile devices, creating a more seamless 
distribution model that will allow investors more choice in how they 
receive and view market data, all without having to account for and/or 
measure who accesses the data and how often they do so.
    The proposed Digital Media Enterprise Fee is equitable and 
reasonable because it will also enable recipient firms to more widely 
distribute data from EDGX Book Viewer to investors for informational 
purposes at a lower cost than is available today. For example, a 
recipient firm may purchase an Enterprise license in the amount of 
$20,000 per month for to receive EDGX Book Viewer from an External 
Distributor for an unlimited number of Professional and Non-
Professional Users, which is greater than the proposed Digital Media 
Enterprise Fee. The Exchange also believes the amount of the Digital 
Media Enterprise Fee is reasonable as compared to the existing 
enterprise fees discussed above because the distribution of EDGX Book 
Viewer data is limited to television, Web sites, and mobile devices for 
informational purposes only, while distribution of EDGX Book Viewer 
data pursuant to an Enterprise license contains no such limitation. The 
Exchange also believes that the proposed Digital Media Enterprise Fee 
is equitable and reasonable because it is less than similar fees 
charged by other exchanges.\25\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \25\ The Nasdaq Stock Market offers proprietary data products 
for distribution over the internet and television under alternative 
fee schedules that are subject to maximum fee of $50,000 per month. 
See Nasdaq Rule 7039(b). The NYSE charges a Digit Media Enterprise 
fee of $40,000 per month for the NYSE Trade Digital Media product. 
See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 69272 (April 2, 2013), 78 FR 
20983 (April 8, 2013) (SR-NYSE-2013-23).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will 
result in any burden on competition that is not necessary or 
appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act, as amended. The 
Exchange's ability to price EDGX Book Viewer is constrained by: (i) 
Competition among exchanges, other trading platforms, and Trade 
Reporting Facilities (``TRF'') that compete with each other in a 
variety of dimensions; (ii) the existence of inexpensive real-time 
consolidated data and market-specific data and free delayed data; and 
(iii) the inherent contestability of the market for proprietary data.
    The Exchange and its market data products are subject to 
significant competitive forces and the proposed fees represent 
responses to that competition. To start, the Exchange competes 
intensely for order flow. It competes with the other national 
securities exchanges that currently trade equities, with electronic 
communication networks, with quotes posted in FINRA's Alternative 
Display Facility, with alternative trading systems, and with securities 
firms that primarily trade as principal with their customer order flow.
    In addition, EDGX Book Viewer competes with a number of alternative 
products. For instance, EDGX Book Viewer does provide a complete 
picture of all trading activity in a security. Rather, the other 
national securities exchanges, the several TRFs of FINRA, and 
Electronic Communication Networks (``ECN'') that produce proprietary 
data all produce trades and trade reports. Each is currently permitted 
to produce last sale information products, and many currently do, 
including Nasdaq and NYSE. In addition, market participants can gain 
access to EDGX last sale and depth-of-book quotations, though 
integrated with the prices of other markets, on feeds made available 
through the SIPs.
    In sum, the availability of a variety of alternative sources of 
information imposes significant competitive pressures on Exchange data 
products and the Exchange's compelling need to attract order flow 
imposes significant competitive pressure on the Exchange to act 
equitably, fairly, and reasonably in setting the proposed data product 
fees. The proposed data product fees are, in part, responses to that 
pressure. The Exchange believes that the proposed fees would reflect an 
equitable allocation of its overall costs to users of its facilities.
    In addition, when establishing the proposed fees, the Exchange 
considered the competitiveness of the market for proprietary data and 
all of the implications of that competition. The Exchange believes that 
it has considered all relevant factors and has not considered 
irrelevant factors in order to establish fair, reasonable, and not 
unreasonably discriminatory fees and an equitable allocation of fees 
among all Users. The existence of alternatives to EDGX Book Viewer, 
including existing similar feeds by other exchanges, consolidated data, 
and proprietary data from other sources, ensures that the Exchange 
cannot set unreasonable fees, or fees that are unreasonably 
discriminatory, when vendors and subscribers can elect these 
alternatives or choose not to purchase a specific proprietary data 
product if its cost to purchase is not justified by the returns any 
particular vendor or subscriber would achieve through the purchase.

(C) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the 
Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants or Others

    The Exchange has neither solicited nor received written comments on 
the proposed rule change.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 
Commission Action

    The foregoing rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \26\ and paragraph (f) of Rule 19b-4 
thereunder.\27\ At any time within 60 days of the filing of the 
proposed rule change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend 
such rule change if it appears to the Commission that such action is 
necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of 
investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \26\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \27\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views and 
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposal is 
consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the 
following methods:

Electronic Comments

     Use the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
     Send an email to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include 
File No. SR-EDGX-2015-38 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities 
and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.


[[Page 53369]]


All submissions should refer to File No. SR-EDGX-2015-38. This file 
number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To help 
the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, 
please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on 
the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all 
written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are 
filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to 
the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other 
than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the 
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web site viewing and 
printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 
10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such filing will also be available 
for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All 
comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does 
not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should 
submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All 
submissions should refer to File No. SR-EDGX-2015-38 and should be 
submitted on or before September 24, 2015.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\28\
Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-21873 Filed 9-2-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8011-01-P



                                              53364                     Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 171 / Thursday, September 3, 2015 / Notices

                                              trade as principal with their customer                  (C) Self-Regulatory Organization’s                        provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be
                                              order flow.                                             Statement on Comments on the                              available for Web site viewing and
                                                 In addition, BZX Book Viewer                         Proposed Rule Change Received From                        printing in the Commission’s Public
                                              competes with a number of alternative                   Members, Participants or Others                           Reference Room, 100 F Street NE.,
                                              products. For instance, BZX Book                          The Exchange has neither solicited                      Washington, DC 20549, on official
                                                                                                      nor received written comments on the                      business days between the hours of
                                              Viewer does provide a complete picture
                                                                                                      proposed rule change.                                     10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such
                                              of all trading activity in a security.
                                                                                                                                                                filing will also be available for
                                              Rather, the other national securities                   III. Date of Effectiveness of the                         inspection and copying at the principal
                                              exchanges, the several TRFs of FINRA,                   Proposed Rule Change and Timing for                       office of the Exchange. All comments
                                              and Electronic Communication                            Commission Action                                         received will be posted without change;
                                              Networks (‘‘ECN’’) that produce                            The foregoing rule change has become                   the Commission does not edit personal
                                              proprietary data all produce trades and                 effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)                 identifying information from
                                              trade reports. Each is currently                        of the Act 26 and paragraph (f) of Rule                   submissions. You should submit only
                                              permitted to produce last sale                          19b–4 thereunder.27 At any time within                    information that you wish to make
                                              information products, and many                          60 days of the filing of the proposed rule                available publicly. All submissions
                                              currently do, including Nasdaq and                      change, the Commission summarily may                      should refer to File No. SR–BATS–
                                              NYSE. In addition, market participants                  temporarily suspend such rule change if                   2015–64 and should be submitted on or
                                              can gain access to BZX last sale and                    it appears to the Commission that such                    before September 24, 2015.
                                              depth-of-book quotations, though                        action is necessary or appropriate in the                   For the Commission, by the Division of
                                              integrated with the prices of other                     public interest, for the protection of                    Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated
                                              markets, on feeds made available                        investors, or otherwise in furtherance of                 authority.28
                                              through the SIPs.                                       the purposes of the Act.                                  Robert W. Errett,
                                                 In sum, the availability of a variety of             IV. Solicitation of Comments                              Deputy Secretary.
                                              alternative sources of information                        Interested persons are invited to                       [FR Doc. 2015–21870 Filed 9–2–15; 8:45 am]
                                              imposes significant competitive                         submit written data, views and                            BILLING CODE 8011–01–P
                                              pressures on Exchange data products                     arguments concerning the foregoing,
                                              and the Exchange’s compelling need to                   including whether the proposal is
                                              attract order flow imposes significant                  consistent with the Act. Comments may                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
                                              competitive pressure on the Exchange to                 be submitted by any of the following                      COMMISSION
                                              act equitably, fairly, and reasonably in                methods:
                                              setting the proposed data product fees.                 Electronic Comments
                                                                                                                                                                [Release No. 34–75788; File No. SR–EDGX–
                                              The proposed data product fees are, in                                                                            2015–38]
                                              part, responses to that pressure. The                     • Use the Commission’s Internet
                                              Exchange believes that the proposed                     comment form (http://www.sec.gov/                         Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX
                                                                                                      rules/sro.shtml); or                                      Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and
                                              fees would reflect an equitable
                                                                                                        • Send an email to rule-comments@                       Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed
                                              allocation of its overall costs to users of
                                                                                                      sec.gov. Please include File No. SR–                      Rule Change Related to Fees for a
                                              its facilities.                                         BATS–2015–64 on the subject line.                         Market Data Product Known as EDGX
                                                 In addition, when establishing the                                                                             Book Viewer
                                              proposed fees, the Exchange considered                  Paper Comments
                                              the competitiveness of the market for                      • Send paper comments in triplicate                    August 28, 2015.
                                              proprietary data and all of the                         to Secretary, Securities and Exchange                        Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the
                                              implications of that competition. The                   Commission, 100 F Street NE.,                             Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
                                              Exchange believes that it has considered                Washington, DC 20549–1090.                                ‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
                                              all relevant factors and has not                        All submissions should refer to File No.                  notice is hereby given that on August
                                              considered irrelevant factors in order to               SR–BATS–2015–64. This file number                         24, 2015, EDGX Exchange, Inc. (the
                                              establish fair, reasonable, and not                     should be included on the subject line                    ‘‘Exchange’’ or ‘‘EDGX’’) filed with the
                                              unreasonably discriminatory fees and an                 if email is used. To help the                             Securities and Exchange Commission
                                              equitable allocation of fees among all                  Commission process and review your                        (‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule
                                              Users. The existence of alternatives to                 comments more efficiently, please use                     change as described in Items I, II and III
                                                                                                      only one method. The Commission will                      below, which Items have been prepared
                                              BZX Book Viewer, including existing
                                                                                                      post all comments on the Commission’s                     by the Exchange. The Exchange has
                                              similar feeds by other exchanges,
                                                                                                      Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/                    designated the proposed rule change as
                                              consolidated data, and proprietary data
                                                                                                      rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the                           one establishing or changing a member
                                              from other sources, ensures that the                    submission, all subsequent                                due, fee, or other charge imposed by the
                                              Exchange cannot set unreasonable fees,                  amendments, all written statements                        Exchange under Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii)
                                              or fees that are unreasonably                           with respect to the proposed rule                         of the Act 3 and Rule 19b-4(f)(2)
                                              discriminatory, when vendors and                        change that are filed with the                            thereunder,4 which renders the
                                              subscribers can elect these alternatives                Commission, and all written                               proposed rule change effective upon
                                              or choose not to purchase a specific                    communications relating to the                            filing with the Commission. The
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                              proprietary data product if its cost to                 proposed rule change between the                          Commission is publishing this notice to
                                              purchase is not justified by the returns                Commission and any person, other than
                                              any particular vendor or subscriber                     those that may be withheld from the                         28 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).
                                              would achieve through the purchase.                     public in accordance with the                               1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
                                                                                                                                                                  2 17 CFR 240.19b–4.
                                                                                                        26 15   U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).                              3 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).
                                                                                                        27 17   CFR 240.19b–4(f).                                 4 17 CFR 240.19b–4(f)(2).




                                         VerDate Sep<11>2014   14:42 Sep 02, 2015   Jkt 235001   PO 00000   Frm 00088     Fmt 4703     Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\03SEN1.SGM    03SEN1


                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 171 / Thursday, September 3, 2015 / Notices                                                      53365

                                              solicit comments on the proposed rule                   remain available via                                      Book Viewer shall pay a fee of $500 per
                                              change from interested persons.                         www.batstrading.com for viewing                           month. The Exchange does not propose
                                                                                                      without charge. The proposed fees                         to charge any User fees for EDGX Book
                                              I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                                                                                      include the following, each of which are                  Viewer where the data is received and
                                              Statement of the Terms of Substance of
                                                                                                      described in detail below: (i)                            subsequently internally distributed to
                                              the Proposed Rule Change
                                                                                                      Distribution Fees for both Internal and                   Professional or Non-Professional Users.
                                                 The Exchange filed a proposal to                     External Distributors; 7 (ii) Usage Fees                  In addition, the Exchange proposes to
                                              amend the Market Data section of its fee                for both Professional 8 and Non-                          charge External Distributors that
                                              schedule to adopt fees for a market data                Professional 9 Users; 10 (iii) an Enterprise              receives EDGX Book Viewer a fee of
                                              product called EDGX Book Viewer.                        Fee; 11 and (iv) a Digital Media                          $2,500 per month.
                                                 The text of the proposed rule change                 Enterprise Fee.                                             User Fees. The Exchange proposes to
                                              is available at the Exchange’s Web site                   Distribution Fees. As proposed, each                    charge those who receive EDGX Book
                                              at www.batstrading.com, at the                          Internal Distributor that receives EDGX                   Viewer from External Distributors
                                              principal office of the Exchange, and at                                                                          different fees for both their Professional
                                              the Commission’s Public Reference                       Inc. (‘‘BYX’’) and BATS Exchange, Inc. (‘‘BZX’’,          Users and Non-Professional Users. The
                                              Room.                                                   together with the Exchange, EDGA and BYX, the
                                                                                                      ‘‘BATS Exchanges’’), also intent to file proposed
                                                                                                                                                                Exchange will assess a monthly fee for
                                              II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s                      rule changes with Commission to adopt similar fees        Professional Users of $3.00 per User.
                                              Statement of the Purpose of, and                        for their respective Book Viewer market data              Non-Professional Users will be assessed
                                                                                                      product.                                                  a monthly fee of $0.15 per User. The
                                              Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule                     7 A ‘‘Distributor’’ is defined as ‘‘any entity that
                                              Change                                                  receives the Exchange Market Data product directly
                                                                                                                                                                Exchange does not propose to charge
                                                                                                      from the Exchange or indirectly through another           per User fees to Internal Distributors.
                                                 In its filing with the Commission, the               entity and then distributes it internally or externally     External Distributors that receives
                                              Exchange included statements                            to a third party.’’ See the Exchange Fee Schedule         EDGX Book Viewer would be required
                                              concerning the purpose of and basis for                 available at http://batstrading.com/support/fee_
                                                                                                                                                                to count every Professional User and
                                              the proposed rule change and discussed                  schedule/edgx/. An ‘‘Internal Distributor’’ is
                                                                                                      defined as ‘‘a Distributor that receives the Exchange     Non-Professional User to which they
                                              any comments it received on the                         Market Data product and then distributes that data        provide EDGX Book Viewer, the
                                              proposed rule change. The text of these                 to one or more Users within the Distributor’s own         requirements for which are identical to
                                              statements may be examined at the                       entity.’’ Id. An ‘‘External Distributor’’ is defined as
                                                                                                      ‘‘a Distributor that receives the Exchange Market         that currently in place for the BATS One
                                              places specified in Item IV below. The                  Data product and then distributes that data to a          Feed.12 Thus, the External Distributor’s
                                              Exchange has prepared summaries, set                    third party or one or more Users outside the              count will include every person and
                                              forth in Sections A, B, and C below, of                 Distributor’s own entity.’’ Id.’’
                                                                                                                                                                device that accesses the data regardless
                                                                                                         8 A ‘‘Professional User’’ is defined as ‘‘any User
                                              the most significant parts of such                                                                                of the purpose for which the individual
                                                                                                      other than a Non-Professional User.’’ See the
                                              statements.                                             Exchange Fee Schedule available at http://                or device uses the data. External
                                              (A) Self-Regulatory Organization’s                      batstrading.com/support/fee_schedule/edgx/.               Distributors must report all Professional
                                                                                                         9 A ‘‘Non-Professional User’’ is defined as ‘‘a
                                              Statement of the Purpose of, and                                                                                  and Non-Professional Users in
                                                                                                      natural person who is not: (i) registered or qualified
                                              Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule                  in any capacity with the Commission, the                  accordance with the following:
                                              Change                                                  Commodity Futures Trading Commission, any state             • In connection with an External
                                                                                                      securities agency, any securities exchange or             Distributor’s distribution of EDGX Book
                                              1. Purpose                                              association, or any commodities or futures contract       Viewer, the Distributor should count as
                                                                                                      market or association; (ii) engaged as an
                                                 The Exchange proposes to amend the                   ‘‘investment adviser’’ as that term is defined in         one User each unique User that the
                                              Market Data section of its fee schedule                 Section [202(a)(11)] of the Investment Advisers Act       Distributor has entitled to have access to
                                              to adopt fees for a market data product                 of 1940 (whether or not registered or qualified           EDGX Book Viewer. However, where a
                                                                                                      under that Act); or (iii) employed by a bank or other
                                              called EDGX Book Viewer. EDGX Book                      organization exempt from registration under federal       device is dedicated specifically to a
                                              Viewer is a data feed that disseminates,                or state securities laws to perform functions that        single individual, the Distributor should
                                              on a real-time basis, the aggregated two-               would require registration or qualification if such       count only the individual and need not
                                              side quotations for up to five (5) price                functions were performed for an organization not so       count the device.
                                                                                                      exempt.’’ Id.
                                              levels for all displayed orders for                        10 The Exchange notes that User fees as well as
                                                                                                                                                                  • The External Distributor should
                                              securities traded on the Exchange and                   the distinctions based on professional and non-           identify and report each unique User. If
                                              for which the Exchanges reports quotes                  professional users have been previously filed with        a User uses the same unique method to
                                              under the Consolidated Tape                             or approved by the Commission by the BATS                 gain access to EDGX Book Viewer, the
                                                                                                      Exchanges and the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
                                              Association (‘‘CTA’’) Plan or the                       (‘‘Nasdaq’’). See Securities Exchange Act Release         Distributor should count that as one
                                              Nasdaq/UTP Plan. EDGX Book Viewer                       No. 59582 (March 16, 2009), 74 FR 12423 (March            User. However, if a unique User uses
                                              also contains the last ten (10) trades                  24, 2009) (Order approving SR-Nasdaq-2008–102).           multiple methods to gain access to
                                                                                                      See also See Securities Exchange Act Release Nos.         EDGX Book Viewer (e.g., a single User
                                              including time of trade, price and share                74285 (February 18, 2015), 80 FR 9828 (February
                                              quantity.5 EDGX Book Viewer is                          24, 2015) (SR–BATS–2015–11); 74283 (February 18,          has multiple passwords and user
                                              currently available via                                 2015), 80 FR 9809 (February 24, 2015) (SR–EDGA–           identifications), the External Distributor
                                              www.batstrading.com without charge.                     2015–09); 74282 (February 17, 2015), 80 FR 9487           should report all of those methods as an
                                                                                                      (February 23, 2015) (SR–EDGX–2015–09); and
                                                 The Exchange now proposes to amend                   74284 (February 18, 2015), 80 FR 9792 (February           individual User.
                                              its fee schedule to incorporate fees for                24, 2015) (SR–BYX–2015–09) (‘‘Initial BATS One              • External Distributors should report
                                              distribution of EDGX Book Viewer to                     Feed Fee Filings’’).                                      each unique individual person who
                                              subscribers.6 EDGX Book Viewer will                        11 The Exchange notes that Enterprise fees have
                                                                                                                                                                receives access through multiple
                                                                                                      been previously filed with or approved by the
                                                                                                                                                                devices as one User so long as each
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                      Commission by the Exchange, EDGA, BYX, BZX,
                                                5 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 75713
                                                                                                      Nasdaq, NYSE, and the CTA/CQ Plans. See Nasdaq            device is dedicated specifically to that
                                              (August 17, 2015), 80 FR 50896 (August 21, 2015)        Rule 7047. Securities Exchange Act Release Nos.           individual.
                                              (SR–EDGX–2015–36) (Notice of Filing and
                                              Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change
                                                                                                      71507 (February 7, 2014), 79 FR 8763 (February 13,          • If an External Distributor entitles
                                                                                                      2014) (SR–NASDAQ–2014–011); 70211 (August 15,
                                              to Amend Rule 13.8 to Describe the Market Data          2013), 78 FR 51781 (August 21, 2013) (SR–NYSE–
                                                                                                                                                                one or more individuals to use the same
                                              Product EDGX Book Viewer).                              2013–58); and 70010 (July 19, 2013) (File No. SR–
                                                6 The Exchange notes that its affiliated exchanges,   CTA/CQ–2013–04). See also the Initial BATS One              12 See the Initial BATS One Feed Fee Filings,

                                              EDGA Exchange, Inc. (‘‘EDGA’’), BATS Y-Exchange,        Feed Fee Filings, supra note 10.                          supra note 10.



                                         VerDate Sep<11>2014   14:42 Sep 02, 2015   Jkt 235001   PO 00000   Frm 00089   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\03SEN1.SGM      03SEN1


                                              53366                     Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 171 / Thursday, September 3, 2015 / Notices

                                              device, the External Distributor should                 Viewer from an External Distributor to                stock do so on terms that are not
                                              include only the individuals, and not                   distribute to an unlimited number of                  unreasonably discriminatory. In
                                              the device, in the count.                               Professional and Non-Professional Users               adopting Regulation NMS, the
                                                 Each External Distributor will receive               for viewing via television, Web sites,                Commission granted self-regulatory
                                              a credit against its monthly Distributor                and mobile devices for informational                  organizations and broker-dealers
                                              Fee for EDGX Book Viewer equal to the                   and non-trading purposes only without                 increased authority and flexibility to
                                              amount of its monthly Usage Fees up to                  having to account for the extent of                   offer new and unique market data to the
                                              a maximum of the Distributor Fee for                    access to the data or the report the                  public. It was believed that this
                                              EDGX Book Viewer. For example, an                       number of Users to the Exchange.                      authority would expand the amount of
                                              External Distributor will be subject to a               Lastly, the proposed Digital Media                    data available to consumers, and also
                                              $2,500 monthly Distributor Fee where                    Enterprise Fee would be counted                       spur innovation and competition for the
                                              they receive EDGX Book Viewer. If that                  towards the Distributor Fee credit                    provision of market data.
                                              External Distributor reports User                       described above, under which an                          In addition, the proposed fees would
                                              quantities totaling $2,500 or more of                   External Distributor receives a credit                not permit unfair discrimination
                                              monthly usage of EDGX Book Viewer, it                   towards its Distributor Fee equal to the              because all of the Exchange’s customers
                                              will pay no net Distributor Fee, whereas                amount of its monthly EDGX Book                       and market data vendors will be subject
                                              if that same External Distributor were to               Viewer User fees.                                     to the proposed fees on an equivalent
                                              report User quantities totaling $1,000 of                                                                     basis. EDGX Book Viewer is distributed
                                              monthly usage, it will pay a net of                     Implementation Date                                   and purchased on a voluntary basis, in
                                              $1,500 for the Distributor Fee. External                  The Exchange proposes to implement                  that neither the Exchange nor market
                                              Distributors will remain subject to the                 the proposed changes to its fee schedule              data distributors are required by any
                                              per User fees discussed above.                          on September 8, 2015.                                 rule or regulation to make this data
                                                 Enterprise Fee. The Exchange also                                                                          available. Accordingly, Distributors and
                                              proposes to establish a $20,000 per                     2. Statutory Basis
                                                                                                                                                            Users can discontinue use at any time
                                              month Enterprise Fee that will permit a                    The Exchange believes that the                     and for any reason, including due to an
                                              recipient firm who receives EDGX Book                   proposed rule change is consistent with               assessment of the reasonableness of fees
                                              Viewer from an External Distributor to                  the objectives of Section 6 of the Act,13             charged. Firms have a wide variety of
                                              receive the data for an unlimited                       in general, and furthers the objectives of            alternative market data products from
                                              number of Professional and Non-                         Section 6(b)(4),14 in particular, as it is            which to choose, such as similar
                                              Professional Users. For example, if a                   designed to provide for the equitable                 proprietary data products offered by
                                              recipient firm had 15,000 Professional                  allocation of reasonable dues, fees and               other exchanges and consolidated data.
                                              Users who each receive EDGX Book                        other charges among its members and                   Moreover, the Exchange is not required
                                              Viewer at $3.00 per month, then that                    other recipients of Exchange data. The                to make any proprietary data products
                                              recipient firm will pay $45,000 per                     Exchange believes that the proposed                   available or to offer any specific pricing
                                              month in Professional Users fees. Under                 rates are equitable and non-                          alternatives to any customers.
                                              the proposed Enterprise Fee, the                        discriminatory in that they apply                        In addition, the fees that are the
                                              recipient firm will pay a flat fee of                   uniformly to all recipients of Exchange               subject of this rule filing are constrained
                                              $20,000 for an unlimited number of                      data. The Exchange believes the                       by competition. As explained below in
                                              Professional and Non-Professional Users                 proposed fees are competitive with                    the Exchange’s Statement on Burden on
                                              for EDGX Book Viewer. A recipient firm                  those charged by other venues and,                    Competition, the existence of
                                              must pay a separate Enterprise Fee for                  therefore, reasonable and equitably                   alternatives to EDGX Book Viewer
                                              each External Distributor that controls                 allocated to recipients. Lastly, the                  further ensures that the Exchange
                                              the display of EDGX Book Viewer if it                   Exchange also believes that the                       cannot set unreasonable fees, or fees
                                              wishes such User to be covered by an                    proposed fees are reasonable and non-                 that are unreasonably discriminatory,
                                              Enterprise Fee rather than by per User                  discriminatory because they will apply                when vendors and subscribers can elect
                                              fees. A recipient firm that pays the                    uniformly to all recipients of Exchange               such alternatives. That is, the Exchange
                                              Enterprise Fee will not have to report its              data.                                                 competes with other exchanges (and
                                              number of such Users on a monthly                          The Exchange also believes that the                their affiliates) that provide similar
                                              basis. However, every six months, a                     proposed rule change is consistent with               market data products. If another
                                              recipient firm must provide the                         Section 11(A) of the Act 15 in that it                exchange (or its affiliate) were to charge
                                              Exchange with a count of the total                      supports (i) fair competition among                   less to distribute its similar product
                                              number of natural person users of each                  brokers and dealers, among exchange                   than the Exchange charges to
                                              product, including both Professional                    markets, and between exchange markets                 consolidate and distribute EDGX Book
                                              and Non-Professional Users. Lastly, the                 and markets other than exchange                       Viewer, prospective Users likely would
                                              proposed Enterprise Fee would be                        markets and (ii) the availability to                  not subscribe to, or would cease
                                              counted towards the Distributor Fee                     brokers, dealers, and investors of                    subscribing to, EDGX Book Viewer.
                                              credit described above, under which an                  information with respect to quotations                   The Exchange notes that the
                                              External Distributor receives a credit                  for and transactions in securities.                   Commission is not required to
                                              towards its Distributor Fee equal to the                Furthermore, the proposed rule change                 undertake a cost-of-service or rate-
                                              amount of its monthly EDGX Book                         is consistent with Rule 603 of                        making approach. The Exchange
                                              Viewer User fees.                                       Regulation NMS,16 which provides that                 believes that, even if it were possible as
                                                 Digital Media Enterprise Fee. The                    any national securities exchange that                 a matter of economic theory, cost-based
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                              Exchange proposes to adopt a Digital                    distributes information with respect to               pricing for non-core market data would
                                              Media Enterprise Fee of $5,000 per                      quotations for or transactions in an NMS              be so complicated that it could not be
                                              month for EDGX Book Viewer. As an
                                                                                                                                                            done practically.17
                                              alternative to proposed User fees                         13 15 U.S.C. 78f.
                                              discussed above, a recipient firm may                     14 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(4).                               17 The Exchange believes that cost-based pricing
                                              purchase a monthly Digital Media                          15 15 U.S.C. 78k–1.
                                                                                                                                                            would be impractical because it would create
                                              Enterprise license to receive EDGX Book                   16 See 17 CFR 242.603.                              enormous administrative burdens for all parties,



                                         VerDate Sep<11>2014   14:42 Sep 02, 2015   Jkt 235001   PO 00000   Frm 00090   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\03SEN1.SGM   03SEN1


                                                                         Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 171 / Thursday, September 3, 2015 / Notices                                                     53367

                                                 Distributor Fee. The Exchange                         Specifically, the NYSE charges an                        proposed are less than the enterprise
                                              believes that the proposed Distributor                   access fee of $5,000 per month for NYSE                  fees currently charged for Nasdaq Book
                                              Fees are also reasonable, equitably                      OpenBook,20 which is higher than the                     Viewer, which is subject to the exact
                                              allocated, and not unreasonably                          External Distributor fee proposed herein                 same fees as Nasdaq TotalView. Nasdaq
                                              discriminatory. The fees for Members                     for EDGX Book Viewer.                                    charges an enterprise fee of $100,000
                                              and non-Members are uniform except                         User Fees. The Exchange believes that                  per month for Nasdaq TotalView,24
                                              with respect to reasonable distinctions                  implementing the Professional and Non-                   which is far greater than the proposed
                                              with respect to internal and external                    Professional User fees for EDGX Book                     Enterprise Fee of $20,000 per month for
                                              distribution.18 The Exchange believes                    Viewer are equitable and reasonable                      EDGX Book Viewer. In addition, the
                                              that the Distributor Fees for EDGX Book                  because they will result in greater                      Enterprise Fee proposed by the
                                              Viewer are reasonable and fair in light                  availability to Professional and Non-                    Exchange could result in a fee reduction
                                              of alternatives offered by other market                  Professional Users. Moreover,                            for recipient firms with a large number
                                              centers. For example, EDGX Book                          introducing a modest Non-Professional                    of Professional and Non-Professional
                                              Viewer provides investors with                           User fee for EDGX Book Viewer is                         Users. If a recipient firm has a smaller
                                              alternative market data and competes                     reasonable because it provides an                        number of Professional Users of EDGX
                                              with similar market data product                         additional method for retail investors to                Book Viewer, then it may continue
                                              currently offered by the New York Stock                  access EDGX Book Viewer data by                          using the per User structure and benefit
                                              Exchange, Inc. (‘‘NYSE’’) and the                        providing the same data that is available                from the per User Fee reductions. By
                                              Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (‘‘Nasdaq’’).19                  to Professional Users. The Exchange                      reducing prices for recipient firms with
                                                                                                       believes that the proposed fees are                      a large number of Professional and Non-
                                              including the Commission, to cost-regulate a large       equitable and not unfairly                               Professional Users, the Exchange
                                              number of participants and standardize and analyze       discriminatory because they will be                      believes that more firms may choose to
                                              extraordinary amounts of information, accounts,
                                              and reports. In addition, it is impossible to regulate
                                                                                                       charged uniformly to recipient firms                     receive and to distribute EDGX Book
                                              market data prices in isolation from prices charged      and Users. The fee structure of                          Viewer, thereby expanding the
                                              by markets for other services that are joint products.   differentiated Professional and Non-                     distribution of this market data for the
                                              Cost-based rate regulation would also lead to            Professional fees is utilized by the                     benefit of investors.
                                              litigation and may distort incentives, including                                                                     The Exchange further believes that the
                                              those to minimize costs and to innovate, leading to
                                                                                                       Exchange for the BATS One Feed and
                                              further waste. Under cost-based pricing, the             has long been used by other exchanges                    proposed Enterprise Fee is reasonable
                                              Commission would be burdened with determining            for their proprietary data products, and                 because it will simplify reporting for
                                              a fair rate of return, and the industry could            by the Nasdaq UTP and the CTA and CQ                     certain recipients that have large
                                              experience frequent rate increases based on                                                                       numbers of Professional and Non-
                                              escalating expense levels. Even in industries
                                                                                                       Plans in order to reduce the price of
                                              historically subject to utility regulation, cost-based   data to retail investors and make it more                Professional Users. Firms that pay the
                                              ratemaking has been discredited. As such, the            broadly available.21 Offering EDGX                       proposed Enterprise Fee will not have to
                                              Exchange believes that cost-based ratemaking             Book Viewer to Non-Professional Users                    report the number of Users on a
                                              would be inappropriate for proprietary market data                                                                monthly basis as they currently do, but
                                              and inconsistent with Congress’s direction that the
                                                                                                       with the same data available to
                                              Commission use its authority to foster the               Professional Users results in greater                    rather will only have to count natural
                                              development of the national market system, and           equity among data recipients.                            person users every six months, which is
                                              that market forces will continue to provide                In addition, the proposed fees are                     a significant reduction in administrative
                                              appropriate pricing discipline. See Appendix C to        reasonable when compared to similar                      burden. Finally, the Exchange believes
                                              NYSE’s comments to the Commission’s 2000                                                                          that it is equitable and not unfairly
                                              Concept Release on the Regulation of Market              fees for comparable products offered by
                                              Information Fees and Revenues, which can be              the NYSE and Nasdaq. Specifically,                       discriminatory to establish an Enterprise
                                              found on the Commission’s Web site at http://            NYSE offers NYSE OpenBook for a                          Fee because it reduces the Exchange’s
                                              www.sec.gov/rules/concept/s72899/buck1.htm. See          monthly fee of $60.00 per professional                   costs and the Distributor’s
                                              also Securities Exchange Act Release No. 73816                                                                    administrative burdens in tracking and
                                              (December 11, 2014), 79 FR 75200 (December 17,           subscriber and $15 per non-professional
                                              2014) (SR–NYSE–2014–64) (Notice of Filing and            subscriber.22 Nasdaq offers Nasdaq                       auditing large numbers of Users.
                                              Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change          BookViewer for the same fees as Nasdaq                      Digital Media Enterprise Fee. The
                                              to Establish an Access Fee for the NYSE Best Quote       TotalView, which is a monthly fee of                     Exchange believes that the proposed
                                              and Trades Data Feed, Operative December 1,                                                                       Digital Media Enterprise Fee for EDGX
                                              2014).                                                   $70.00 per professional subscriber and
                                                 18 The Exchange notes that distinctions based on      $14 per non-professional subscriber.23                   Book Viewer provides for an equitable
                                              external versus internal distribution have been          The Exchange’s proposed per User Fees                    allocation of reasonable fees among
                                              previously filed with the Commission by Nasdaq,          for EDGX Book Viewer are less than the                   recipients of the data and is not
                                              Nasdaq OMX BX, and Nasdaq OMX PSX. See
                                                                                                       NYSE and Nasdaq fees.                                    designed to permit unfair
                                              Nasdaq Rule 019(b); see also Securities Exchange                                                                  discrimination among customers,
                                              Act Release No. 62876 (September 9, 2010), 75 FR           Enterprise Fee. The proposed
                                              56624 (September 16, 2010) (SR–PHLX–2010–120);           Enterprise Fee for EDGX Book Viewer is                   brokers, or dealers. In establishing the
                                              Securities Exchange Act Release No. 62907                equitable and reasonable as the fees                     Digital Media Enterprise Fee, the
                                              (September 14, 2010), 75 FR 57314 (September 20,                                                                  Exchange recognizes that there is
                                              2010) (SR–NASDAQ–2010–110); Securities                                                                            demand for a more seamless and easier-
                                              Exchange Act Release No. 63442 (December 6,              (last visited July 29, 2015) (providing real-time view
                                              2010), 75 FR 77029 (December 10, 2010) (SR–BX–           of the NYSE limit order book).                           to-administer data distribution model
                                              2010–081). See also the Initial BATS One Feed Fee
                                                                                                          20 See NYSE Market Data Pricing dated May 2015        that takes into account the expanded
                                              Filings, supra note 10.                                  available at http://www.nyxdata.com/. Nasdaq
                                                 19 See Nasdaq Rule 7023(a)(1)(C) (describing          charges distribution fees ranging from $300 for 1–         24 See Nasdaq Rule 7023(c)(2) (stating that a

                                              Nasdaq TotalView is a depth-of-book data feed that       10 subscribers to $75,000 for more than $250 [sic]       distributor that is also a broker-dealer pays a
                                              includes all orders and quotes from all Nasdaq           subscribers. See Nasdaq Rule 7023(b)(4).                 monthly fee of $100,000 for the right to provide
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                          21 See the Initial BATS One Feed Fee Filings,
                                              members displayed in the Nasdaq Market Center as                                                                  Nasdaq TotalView and for display usage for internal
                                              well as the aggregate size of such orders and quotes     supra note 10. See also, e.g., Securities Exchange       distribution, or for external distribution to both
                                              at each price level in the execution functionality of    Act Release No. 20002, File No. S7–433 (July 22,         professional and non-professional subscribers with
                                              the Nasdaq Market Center). See also Nasdaq Book          1983) (establishing nonprofessional fees for CTA         whom the firm has a brokerage relationship.)
                                              Viewer, a description of which is available at           data); Nasdaq Rules 7023(b), 7047.                       Nasdaq also charges an enterprise fee of $25,000 to
                                                                                                          22 See NYSE Market Data Pricing dated May 2015
                                              https://data.nasdaq.com/Book Viewer.aspx (last                                                                    provide Nasdaq TotalView to an unlimited number
                                              visited July 29, 2015). See NYSE OpenBook                available at http://www.nyxdata.com/.                    of non-professional subscribers only. See Nasdaq
                                              available at http://www.nyxdata.com/openbook                23 See Nasdaq Rule 7023(b)(2).                        Rule 7023(c)(1).



                                         VerDate Sep<11>2014   14:42 Sep 02, 2015   Jkt 235001   PO 00000   Frm 00091   Fmt 4703    Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\03SEN1.SGM     03SEN1


                                              53368                      Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 171 / Thursday, September 3, 2015 / Notices

                                              variety of media and communication                      any burden on competition that is not                 Exchange believes that it has considered
                                              devices that investors utilize today. The               necessary or appropriate in furtherance               all relevant factors and has not
                                              Exchange believes the Digital Media                     of the purposes of the Act, as amended.               considered irrelevant factors in order to
                                              Enterprise Fee will be easy to                          The Exchange’s ability to price EDGX                  establish fair, reasonable, and not
                                              administer because data recipients that                 Book Viewer is constrained by: (i)                    unreasonably discriminatory fees and an
                                              purchase it would not be required to                    Competition among exchanges, other                    equitable allocation of fees among all
                                              differentiate between Professional and                  trading platforms, and Trade Reporting                Users. The existence of alternatives to
                                              Non-Professional Users, account for the                 Facilities (‘‘TRF’’) that compete with                EDGX Book Viewer, including existing
                                              extent of access to the data, or report the             each other in a variety of dimensions;                similar feeds by other exchanges,
                                              number of Users. This is a significant                  (ii) the existence of inexpensive real-               consolidated data, and proprietary data
                                              reduction on a recipient firm’s                         time consolidated data and market-                    from other sources, ensures that the
                                              administrative burdens and is a                         specific data and free delayed data; and              Exchange cannot set unreasonable fees,
                                              significant value to investors. For                     (iii) the inherent contestability of the              or fees that are unreasonably
                                              example, a television broadcaster could                 market for proprietary data.                          discriminatory, when vendors and
                                              display EDGX Book Viewer data during                       The Exchange and its market data                   subscribers can elect these alternatives
                                              market-related programming and on its                   products are subject to significant                   or choose not to purchase a specific
                                              Web site or allow viewers to view the                   competitive forces and the proposed                   proprietary data product if its cost to
                                              data via their mobile devices, creating a               fees represent responses to that                      purchase is not justified by the returns
                                              more seamless distribution model that                   competition. To start, the Exchange                   any particular vendor or subscriber
                                              will allow investors more choice in how                 competes intensely for order flow. It                 would achieve through the purchase.
                                              they receive and view market data, all                  competes with the other national
                                                                                                      securities exchanges that currently trade             (C) Self-Regulatory Organization’s
                                              without having to account for and/or                                                                          Statement on Comments on the
                                              measure who accesses the data and how                   equities, with electronic communication
                                                                                                      networks, with quotes posted in                       Proposed Rule Change Received From
                                              often they do so.                                                                                             Members, Participants or Others
                                                 The proposed Digital Media                           FINRA’s Alternative Display Facility,
                                              Enterprise Fee is equitable and                         with alternative trading systems, and                   The Exchange has neither solicited
                                              reasonable because it will also enable                  with securities firms that primarily                  nor received written comments on the
                                              recipient firms to more widely                          trade as principal with their customer                proposed rule change.
                                              distribute data from EDGX Book Viewer                   order flow.                                           III. Date of Effectiveness of the
                                              to investors for informational purposes                    In addition, EDGX Book Viewer
                                                                                                                                                            Proposed Rule Change and Timing for
                                              at a lower cost than is available today.                competes with a number of alternative
                                                                                                                                                            Commission Action
                                              For example, a recipient firm may                       products. For instance, EDGX Book
                                                                                                      Viewer does provide a complete picture                   The foregoing rule change has become
                                              purchase an Enterprise license in the                                                                         effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)
                                                                                                      of all trading activity in a security.
                                              amount of $20,000 per month for to                                                                            of the Act 26 and paragraph (f) of Rule
                                                                                                      Rather, the other national securities
                                              receive EDGX Book Viewer from an                                                                              19b–4 thereunder.27 At any time within
                                                                                                      exchanges, the several TRFs of FINRA,
                                              External Distributor for an unlimited                                                                         60 days of the filing of the proposed rule
                                                                                                      and Electronic Communication
                                              number of Professional and Non-                                                                               change, the Commission summarily may
                                                                                                      Networks (‘‘ECN’’) that produce
                                              Professional Users, which is greater than                                                                     temporarily suspend such rule change if
                                                                                                      proprietary data all produce trades and
                                              the proposed Digital Media Enterprise                                                                         it appears to the Commission that such
                                                                                                      trade reports. Each is currently
                                              Fee. The Exchange also believes the                                                                           action is necessary or appropriate in the
                                                                                                      permitted to produce last sale
                                              amount of the Digital Media Enterprise                                                                        public interest, for the protection of
                                                                                                      information products, and many
                                              Fee is reasonable as compared to the                    currently do, including Nasdaq and                    investors, or otherwise in furtherance of
                                              existing enterprise fees discussed above                NYSE. In addition, market participants                the purposes of the Act.
                                              because the distribution of EDGX Book                   can gain access to EDGX last sale and
                                              Viewer data is limited to television,                                                                         IV. Solicitation of Comments
                                                                                                      depth-of-book quotations, though
                                              Web sites, and mobile devices for                       integrated with the prices of other                     Interested persons are invited to
                                              informational purposes only, while                      markets, on feeds made available                      submit written data, views and
                                              distribution of EDGX Book Viewer data                   through the SIPs.                                     arguments concerning the foregoing,
                                              pursuant to an Enterprise license                          In sum, the availability of a variety of           including whether the proposal is
                                              contains no such limitation. The                        alternative sources of information                    consistent with the Act. Comments may
                                              Exchange also believes that the                         imposes significant competitive                       be submitted by any of the following
                                              proposed Digital Media Enterprise Fee                   pressures on Exchange data products                   methods:
                                              is equitable and reasonable because it is               and the Exchange’s compelling need to                 Electronic Comments
                                              less than similar fees charged by other                 attract order flow imposes significant
                                              exchanges.25                                                                                                    • Use the Commission’s Internet
                                                                                                      competitive pressure on the Exchange to
                                                                                                                                                            comment form (http://www.sec.gov/
                                              (B) Self-Regulatory Organization’s                      act equitably, fairly, and reasonably in
                                                                                                                                                            rules/sro.shtml); or
                                              Statement on Burden on Competition                      setting the proposed data product fees.                 • Send an email to rule-comments@
                                                                                                      The proposed data product fees are, in                sec.gov. Please include File No. SR–
                                                The Exchange does not believe that                    part, responses to that pressure. The
                                              the proposed rule change will result in                                                                       EDGX–2015–38 on the subject line.
                                                                                                      Exchange believes that the proposed
                                                                                                      fees would reflect an equitable                       Paper Comments
                                                 25 The Nasdaq Stock Market offers proprietary
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                              data products for distribution over the internet and    allocation of its overall costs to users of             • Send paper comments in triplicate
                                              television under alternative fee schedules that are     its facilities.                                       to Secretary, Securities and Exchange
                                              subject to maximum fee of $50,000 per month. See           In addition, when establishing the                 Commission, 100 F Street NE.,
                                              Nasdaq Rule 7039(b). The NYSE charges a Digit           proposed fees, the Exchange considered
                                              Media Enterprise fee of $40,000 per month for the
                                                                                                                                                            Washington, DC 20549–1090.
                                              NYSE Trade Digital Media product. See Securities
                                                                                                      the competitiveness of the market for
                                              Exchange Act Release No. 69272 (April 2, 2013), 78      proprietary data and all of the                         26 15   U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
                                              FR 20983 (April 8, 2013) (SR–NYSE–2013–23).             implications of that competition. The                   27 17   CFR 240.19b–4(f).



                                         VerDate Sep<11>2014   14:42 Sep 02, 2015   Jkt 235001   PO 00000   Frm 00092   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\03SEN1.SGM     03SEN1


                                                                          Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 171 / Thursday, September 3, 2015 / Notices                                                        53369

                                              All submissions should refer to File No.                  Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’),                     Series 56 examination is administered
                                              SR–EDGX–2015–38. This file number                         pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the                       by FINRA, however FINRA does not
                                              should be included on the subject line                    Securities Exchange Act of 1934                           recognize the exam as an acceptable
                                              if email is used. To help the                             (‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2 a                 qualification examination. Associated
                                              Commission process and review your                        proposed rule change to establish the                     persons of FINRA members are required
                                              comments more efficiently, please use                     Securities Trader and Securities Trader                   to pass the Series 55 examination to
                                              only one method. The Commission will                      Principal registration categories. The                    engage in over-the-counter securities
                                              post all comments on the Commission’s                     proposed rule change was published for                    trading. Consequently, individuals
                                              Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/                    comment in the Federal Register on July                   engaged in trading activities at broker-
                                              rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the                           14, 2015.3 The Commission received                        dealers may be subject to varying
                                              submission, all subsequent                                two comment letters on the proposed                       qualification requirements, depending
                                              amendments, all written statements                        rule change.4 This order approves the                     on whether their activities take place on
                                              with respect to the proposed rule                         proposed rule change.                                     a securities exchange or over-the-
                                              change that are filed with the                                                                                      counter.6
                                                                                                        II. Description of the Proposed Rule                         In its proposal, FINRA amends NASD
                                              Commission, and all written
                                                                                                        Change                                                    Rule 1032(f) to replace the Equity
                                              communications relating to the
                                              proposed rule change between the                          A. Securities Trader Registration                         Trader registration category and
                                              Commission and any person, other than                     Category                                                  qualification examination (Series 55)
                                              those that may be withheld from the                          Pursuant to NASD Rule 1032(f), each                    with a Securities Trader registration
                                              public in accordance with the                             person associated with a FINRA                            category and qualification examination
                                              provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be                       member who is included within the                         (Series 57).7 FINRA also amends NASD
                                              available for Web site viewing and                        definition of ‘‘representative’’ in NASD                  Rule 1032(f) to eliminate the
                                              printing in the Commission’s Public                       Rule 1031 must register with FINRA as                     prerequisite registration requirement. In
                                              Reference Room, 100 F Street NE.,                         an Equity Trader if, with respect to                      addition, FINRA amends NASD Rule
                                              Washington, DC 20549, on official                         transactions in equity (including equity                  1032(f) to provide that a person solely
                                              business days between the hours of                        options), preferred or convertible debt                   registered as a Securities Trader will not
                                              10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such                   securities effected otherwise than on a                   be qualified to function in any other
                                              filing will also be available for                         national securities exchange, the person                  registration category.
                                              inspection and copying at the principal                                                                                As proposed, a person registered as an
                                                                                                        is engaged in proprietary trading, the
                                              office of the Exchange. All comments                                                                                Equity Trader in the Central Registration
                                                                                                        execution of transactions on an agency
                                              received will be posted without change;                                                                             Depository (‘‘CRD’’) system on the
                                                                                                        basis, or the direct supervision of such
                                              the Commission does not edit personal                                                                               effective date of the proposed rule
                                                                                                        activities.5 Currently, before registering
                                              identifying information from                                                                                        change 8 will be grandfathered as a
                                                                                                        as an Equity Trader and taking the
                                              submissions. You should submit only                                                                                 Securities Trader without having to take
                                                                                                        Series 55 examination, the associated
                                              information that you wish to make                                                                                   any additional examinations and
                                                                                                        person must be registered as either a
                                              available publicly. All submissions                                                                                 without having to take any other
                                                                                                        General Securities Representative
                                              should refer to File No. SR–EDGX–                                                                                   actions.9
                                                                                                        (Series 7) or a Corporate Securities
                                              2015–38 and should be submitted on or                     Representative (Series 62) and have                       B. Securities Trader Principal
                                              before September 24,2015.                                 passed either of the exams.                               Registration Category
                                                For the Commission, by the Division of                     The exchanges, however, currently                        Currently, an associated person with
                                              Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated                use the Series 56 examination as a                        direct supervisory responsibility over
                                              authority.28                                              qualification standard for several
                                              Robert W. Errett,                                         registration categories relating to                          6 FINRA notes that there is significant overlap in
                                              Deputy Secretary.                                         securities trading, including the                         the content of the Series 55 and 56 examinations.
                                              [FR Doc. 2015–21873 Filed 9–2–15; 8:45 am]                Proprietary Trader registration category,                    7 FINRA will develop the Series 57 examination

                                              BILLING CODE 8011–01–P                                    and only NASDAQ recognizes the Series                     and will file the examination with the Commission
                                                                                                        55 examination as an acceptable                           as part of a separate proposed rule change.
                                                                                                                                                                  According to FINRA, while the Series 57
                                                                                                        qualification standard under its                          examination will include the core knowledge
                                              SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE                                   registration rules. Unlike the Series 55                  portion of the Series 7 examination, the Series 57
                                              COMMISSION                                                examination, there is no prerequisite                     examination will also be based on the current job
                                                                                                        registration requirement for individuals                  functions of securities traders and include elements
                                              [Release No. 34–75783; File No. SR–FINRA–                                                                           of the Series 55 and 56 examination programs. In
                                              2015–017]                                                 taking the Series 56 examination. The                     addition, FINRA will file a separate proposed rule
                                                                                                                                                                  change to establish the fee for the Series 57
                                              Self-Regulatory Organizations;                              1 15  U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).                                 examination.
                                                                                                          2 17                                                       8 The exchanges have indicated that they will
                                              Financial Industry Regulatory                                     CFR 240.19b–4.
                                                                                                           3 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 75394        replace the Series 56 examination with the Series
                                              Authority, Inc.; Order Approving a                        (July 8, 2015), 80 FR 41119 (‘‘Notice’’).                 57 examination for those registration categories,
                                              Proposed Rule Change To Establish                            4 See letters to Robert W. Errett, Deputy Secretary,   such as the Proprietary Trader registration category,
                                              the Securities Trader and Securities                      Commission, from Kevin Zambrowicz, Associate              where the Series 56 is currently an acceptable
                                                                                                        General Counsel & Managing Director, Securities           qualification standard. The Commission expects the
                                              Trader Principal Registration                                                                                       exchanges to file their proposed rule changes to
                                                                                                        Industry and Financial Markets Association, dated
                                              Categories                                                July 10, 2015 (‘‘SIFMA Letter’’) and Michele Van          effectuate this change before FINRA’s expected
                                                                                                        Tassel, President, Association of Registration            effective date for the Series 57—January 4, 2016.
                                              August 28, 2015.                                          Management, dated July 19, 2015 (‘‘ARM Letter’’).            9 A person who was registered as an Equity
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                              I. Introduction
                                                                                                           5 There is an exception to this requirement for        Trader in the CRD system before the effective date
                                                                                                        any person associated with a FINRA member whose           of the proposed rule change will be eligible to
                                                 On June 29, 2015, the Financial                        trading activities are conducted principally on           register as a Securities Trader without having to
                                              Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.                       behalf of an investment company that is registered        take any additional examinations, provided that no
                                                                                                        with the Commission pursuant to the Investment            more than two years has passed between the date
                                              (‘‘FINRA’’) filed with the Securities and                 Company Act of 1940 and that controls, is                 the person was last registered as a representative
                                                                                                        controlled by, or is under common control with the        and the date the person registers as a Securities
                                                28 17   CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).                            member.                                                   Trader.



                                         VerDate Sep<11>2014     14:42 Sep 02, 2015   Jkt 235001   PO 00000   Frm 00093   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\03SEN1.SGM      03SEN1



Document Created: 2015-12-15 09:56:25
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 09:56:25
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
FR Citation80 FR 53364 

2024 Federal Register | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
USC | CFR | eCFR