[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 249 (Monday, December 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74383-74385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-25369]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-57032; File No. SR-ISE-2007-73]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; International Securities Exchange, 
LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule 
Change Relating to Elimination of the Short Sale ``tick'' and Price 
Tests

December 21, 2007.
    Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

[[Page 74384]]

(``Act''),\1\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\2\ notice is hereby given that 
on August 21, 2007, the International Securities Exchange, LLC (``ISE'' 
or ``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(``SEC'' or ``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in 
Items I and II below, which Items have been substantially prepared by 
the Exchange. On October 26, 2007, ISE filed Amendment No. 1 to the 
proposed rule change.\3\ The Exchange has designated the proposed rule 
change as constituting a ``non-controversial'' rule change under 
paragraph (f)(6) of Rule 19b-4 under the Act,\4\ which renders the 
proposal effective upon receipt of this filing by the Commission. The 
Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the 
proposed rule change, as amended, from interested persons.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
    \3\ Amendment No. 1 supersedes and replaces the original filing 
in its entirety.
    \4\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to amend various ISE rules to conform to 
recent SEC amendments to Rule 10a-1 under the Act and Regulation SHO 
that eliminated SEC and self-regulatory organization (``SRO'') short 
sale ``tick'' and price tests. The text of the proposed rule change is 
available at the Exchange, the Commission's Public Reference Room, and 
http://www.ise.com.

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 aspects of such 
statements.

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

1. Purpose
    The purpose of Amendment No. 1 to this filing is to amend the 
proposed rule text to: (1) Allow for the execution of short sale orders 
during the opening process; (2) correct an incorrect cross reference to 
a Regulation SHO provision; and (3) to remove the text proposing to 
delete a provision of Rule 2129 (MidPoint Match).
    On June 13, 2007, the SEC voted to adopt amendments to Rule 10a-1 
under the Act and Regulation SHO to remove the ``tick'' test of Rule 
10a-1 and any short sale price test of any SRO. As a result of the 
SEC's action, the ISE is seeking to conform its rules accordingly by 
rescinding ISE Rules 1407, which governs short sale transactions in 
Nasdaq Securities, and 2113(a) and (b), which contains a ``tick'' test 
applicable to short sales effected on the ISE, as well as to make 
conforming ``housekeeping'' changes to certain other rules. The 
Exchange proposes to remove references to the execution of short sale 
orders, as well as remove the ``short exempt'' marking requirements 
from the rules.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent 
with section 6(b) of the Act \5\ in general and furthers the objectives 
of section 6(b)(5) \6\ in particular in that the Exchange's proposed 
rules are designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade, 
to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanisms of a free and open 
market and a national market system and, in general, to protect 
investors and the public interest.
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    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The proposed rule change does not impose any burden on competition 
that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of 
the Act.

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

    The Exchange has not solicited, and does not intend to solicit, 
comments on this proposed rule change. The Exchange has not received 
any unsolicited written comments from members or other interested 
parties.

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

    The foregoing rule change has become immediately effective pursuant 
to section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act\7\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6)\8\ thereunder 
because it does not: (1) Significantly affect the protection of 
investors or the public interest; (2) impose any significant burden on 
competition; and (3) become operative for 30 days after the date of the 
filing, or such shorter time as the Commission may designate. At any 
time within sixty (60) days of the filing of the proposed rule change, 
the Commission may summarily abrogate 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.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6).
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    The Exchange requests that the Commission waive the 5-day pre-
filing notice requirement and the 30-day operative delay period for 
``non-controversial'' proposals under Exchange Act Rule 19b-4(f)(6) and 
make the proposed rule change effective and operative upon filing with 
the Commission. The Commission believes such waivers are consistent 
with the protection of investors and the public interest because the 
proposed rule change conforms ISE rules to currently effective 
Commission rules.\9\ For this reason, the Commission designates the 
proposal to be operative upon filing with the Commission.
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    \9\ For purposes of waiving the 30-day pre-operative period, the 
Commission has considered the impact of the proposed rule change on 
efficiency, competition and capital formation. 15 U.S.C. 78c(f).
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IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and 
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule 
change 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 e-mail to [email protected]. Please include 
File Number SR-ISE-2007-73 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

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

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-ISE-2007-73. This file 
number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. To 
help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, 
please use only one method. The Commission will

[[Page 74385]]

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 inspection and copying in the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official 
business days between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such 
filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the 
principal office of the ISE. 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 Number SR-ISE-2007-73 and 
should be submitted on or before January 22, 2008.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\10\
Nancy M. Morris,
Secretary.
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    \10\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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 [FR Doc. E7-25369 Filed 12-28-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P