[Federal Register: March 11, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 47)]
[Notices]
[Page 11607-11608]
[DOCID:fr11mr10-102]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-61643; File No. SR-NYSEAmex-2010-16]

Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Amex LLC; Notice of Filing
and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Deleting Rules
993NY and 945

March 3, 2010.
    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 February 24, 2010, NYSE Amex LLC (``NYSE Amex'' or the
``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
``Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II,
and III below, which Items have been prepared by the self-regulatory
organization. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4.
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The Exchange proposes to delete Rules 993NY and 945, which governed
processing of orders received through the OCC Hub. The text of the
proposed rule change is available on NYSE Amex's Web site at http://
www.nyse.com, on the Commission's Web site at http://www.sec.gov, at
NYSE Amex, 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 self-regulatory organization
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 those 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    The purpose of this filing is to delete outdated rules related to
the receipt, execution, and reporting of Principal (``P'') and
Principal Acting as Agent (``P/A'') entered to the Exchange through the
order routing hub developed by the Options Clearing Corporation (``OCC
Hub''). The affected Rules are NYSE Amex Rule 993NY--Temporary Rule
Governing P and P/A orders, and Rule 945 Liability for the Options
Intermarket Linkage.
    At the time of approval of the Options Order Protection and Locked/
Crossed Market Plan (``New Plan'') and the simultaneous withdrawal of
the Exchange from the Plan for the Purpose of Creating and Operating an
Intermarket Options Linkage (``Old Plan''), the Exchange also filed and
received approval for rules implementing the New Plan.\3\ Certain
Participants to the New Plan did not have technology in place to take
full advantage of the New Plan, and remained dependent on the OCC Hub
to route orders to markets at the NBBO. The Exchange was aware that
such dependence might occur, and included a Temporary Rule Governing P
and P/A Orders as part of the implementing rules for the New Plan.
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    \3\ Exchange Act Release No. 60526 (August 18, 2009) (NYSEAmex-
2009-19) 74 FR 43185 (August 26, 2009).
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    Additionally, because the OCC Hub remained connected to the
Exchange, Rule 945, Liability for the Options Intermarket Linkage, was
not eliminated with the other rules related to the Old Plan.
    All of the Participant Exchanges have now migrated off the OCC Hub;
consequently the rules related to the OCC Hub and the Old Plan are no
longer necessary.
2. Statutory Basis
    The Exchange believes the proposed rule change is consistent with
Section 6(b) \4\ of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Act''),
in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) \5\ in
particular in that it is designed to promote just and equitable
principles of trade, to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts, to
remove impediments to and to perfect the mechanism for a free and open
market and a national market system and, in general, to protect
investors and the public interest, as the rules are now obsolete and
should be removed from the rule set.
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    \4\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b).
    \5\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).
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B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will
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

    No written comments were solicited or received with respect to the
proposed rule change.

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

    Because the foregoing proposed rule change: (i) Does not
significantly affect the protection of investors or the public
interest; (ii) does not impose any significant burden on competition;
and (iii) by its terms, does not become operative for 30 days from the
date on which it was filed, or such shorter time as the Commission may
designate, if consistent with the protection of investors and the
public interest, it has become effective pursuant to Section
19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \6\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(6) thereunder.\7\
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \7\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(6). In addition, Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii)
requires the self-regulatory organization to submit to the
Commission written notice of its intent to file the proposed rule
change, along with a brief description and text of the proposed rule
change, at least five business days prior to the date of filing of
the proposed rule change, or such shorter time as designated by the
Commission. The Exchange has satisfied this requirement.
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    At any time within 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.

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_ADDRESS>Please include
File Number SR-NYSEAmex-2010-16 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

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

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEAmex-2010-16. 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 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 a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filing also will 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 Number SR-
NYSEAmex-2010-16 and should be submitted on or before April 1, 2010.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets,
pursuant to delegated authority.\8\
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    \8\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-5221 Filed 3-10-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P