U.S Code last checked for updates: May 04, 2024
§ 78lll.
Definitions
For purposes of this chapter, including the application of the Bankruptcy Act to a liquidation proceeding:
(1)
Commission
(2)
Customer
(A)
In general
(B)
Included persons
The term “customer” includes—
(i)
any person who has deposited cash with the debtor for the purpose of purchasing securities;
(ii)
any person who has a claim against the debtor for cash, securities, futures contracts, or options on futures contracts received, acquired, or held in a portfolio margining account carried as a securities account pursuant to a portfolio margining program approved by the Commission; and
(iii)
any person who has a claim against the debtor arising out of sales or conversions of such securities.
(C)
Excluded persons
The term “customer” does not include any person, to the extent that—
(i)
the claim of such person arises out of transactions with a foreign subsidiary of a member of SIPC; or
(ii)
such person has a claim for cash or securities which by contract, agreement, or understanding, or by operation of law, is part of the capital of the debtor, or is subordinated to the claims of any or all creditors of the debtor, notwithstanding that some ground exists for declaring such contract, agreement, or understanding void or voidable in a suit between the claimant and the debtor.
(3)
Customer name securities
(4)
Customer property
The term “customer property” means cash and securities (except customer name securities delivered to the customer) at any time received, acquired, or held by or for the account of a debtor from or for the securities accounts of a customer, and the proceeds of any such property transferred by the debtor, including property unlawfully converted. The term “customer property” includes—
(A)
securities held as property of the debtor to the extent that the inability of the debtor to meet its obligations to customers for their net equity claims based on securities of the same class and series of an issuer is attributable to the debtor’s noncompliance with the requirements of section 78o(c)(3) of this title and the rules prescribed under such section;
(B)
resources provided through the use or realization of customers’ debit cash balances and other customer-related debit items as defined by the Commission by rule;
(C)
any cash or securities apportioned to customer property pursuant to section 78fff(d) of this title;
(D)
in the case of a portfolio margining account of a customer that is carried as a securities account pursuant to a portfolio margining program approved by the Commission, a futures contract or an option on a futures contract received, acquired, or held by or for the account of a debtor from or for such portfolio margining account, and the proceeds thereof; and
(E)
any other property of the debtor which, upon compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, would have been set aside or held for the benefit of customers, unless the trustee determines that including such property within the meaning of such term would not significantly increase customer property.
(5)
Debtor
(6)
Examining authority
(7)
Filing date
The term “filing date” means the date on which an application for a protective decree is filed under section 78eee(a)(3) of this title, except that—
(A)
if a petition under title 11 concerning the debtor was filed before such date, the term “filing date” means the date on which such petition was filed;
(B)
if the debtor is the subject of a proceeding pending in any court or before any agency of the United States or any State in which a receiver, trustee, or liquidator for such debtor has been appointed and such proceeding was commenced before the date on which such application was filed, the term “filing date” means the date on which such proceeding was commenced; or
(C)
if the debtor is the subject of a direct payment procedure or was the subject of a direct payment procedure discontinued by SIPC pursuant to section 78fff–4(f) of this title, the term “filing date” means the date on which notice of such direct payment procedure was published under section 78fff–4(b) of this title.
(8)
Foreign subsidiary
(9)
Gross revenues from the securities business
The term “gross revenues from the securities business” means the sum of (but without duplication)—
(A)
commissions earned in connection with transactions in securities effected for customers as agent (net of commissions paid to other brokers and dealers in connection with such transactions) and markups with respect to purchases or sales of securities as principal;
(B)
charges for executing or clearing transactions in securities for other brokers and dealers;
(C)
the net realized gain, if any, from principal transactions in securities in trading accounts;
(D)
the net profit, if any, from the management of or participation in the underwriting or distribution of securities;
(E)
interest earned on customers’ securities accounts;
(F)
fees for investment advisory services (except when rendered to one or more registered investment companies or insurance company separate accounts) or account supervision with respect to securities;
(G)
fees for the solicitation of proxies with respect to, or tenders or exchanges of, securities;
(H)
income from service charges or other surcharges with respect to securities;
(I)
except as otherwise provided by rule of the Commission, dividends and interest received on securities in investment accounts of the broker or dealer;
(J)
fees in connection with put, call, and other option transactions in securities;
(K)
commissions earned from transactions in (i) certificates of deposit, and (ii) Treasury bills, bankers acceptances, or commercial paper which have a maturity at the time of issuance of not exceeding nine months, exclusive of days of grace, or any renewal thereof, the maturity of which is likewise limited, except that SIPC shall by bylaw include in the aggregate of gross revenues only an appropriate percentage of such commissions based on SIPC’s loss experience with respect to such instruments over at least the preceding five years; and
(L)
fees and other income from such other categories of the securities business as SIPC shall provide by bylaw.
(10)
Liquidation proceeding
(11)
Net equity
The term “net equity” means the dollar amount of the account or accounts of a customer, to be determined by—
(A)
calculating the sum which would have been owed by the debtor to such customer if the debtor had liquidated, by sale or purchase on the filing date—
(i)
all securities positions of such customer (other than customer name securities reclaimed by such customer); and
(ii)
all positions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts held in a portfolio margining account carried as a securities account pursuant to a portfolio margining program approved by the Commission, including all property collateralizing such positions, to the extent that such property is not otherwise included herein; minus
(B)
any indebtedness of such customer to the debtor on the filing date; plus
(C)
any payment by such customer of such indebtedness to the debtor which is made with the approval of the trustee and within such period as the trustee may determine (but in no event more than sixty days after the publication of notice under section 78fff–2(a) of this title).
A claim for a commodity futures contract received, acquired, or held in a portfolio margining account pursuant to a portfolio margining program approved by the Commission or a claim for a security futures contract, shall be deemed to be a claim with respect to such contract as of the filing date, and such claim shall be treated as a claim for cash. In determining net equity under this paragraph, accounts held by a customer in separate capacities shall be deemed to be accounts of separate customers.
(12)
Persons registered as brokers or dealers
(13)
Protective decree
(14)
Security
(Pub. L. 91–598, § 16, formerly § 12, Dec. 30, 1970, 84 Stat. 1656; renumbered § 16 and amended Pub. L. 95–283, §§ 9, 15, May 21, 1978, 92 Stat. 260, 271; Pub. L. 95–598, title III, § 308(o), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2676; Pub. L. 97–303, § 7, Oct. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1410; Pub. L. 100–181, title VIII, § 802, Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1265; Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(5) [title II, § 203(d)(1)], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–424; Pub. L. 111–203, title IX, § 983(b), July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1931.)
cite as: 15 USC 78lll