Rules Under Section 303
260.3(4)-1 — Definition of “commission from an underwriter or dealer not in excess of the usual and customary distributors' or sellers' commissions” in section 303(4), for certain transactions.
(a) The term commission in section 303(4) shall include such remuneration, commonly known as a spread, as may be received by a distributor or dealer as a consequence of reselling securities bought from an underwriter or dealer at a price below the offering price of such securities, where such resales afford the distributor or dealer a margin of profit not in excess of what is usual and customary in such transactions.
(b) The term commission from an underwriter or dealer in section 303(4) shall include commissions paid by an underwriter or dealer affiliated with the issuer.
(c) The term usual and customary distributors' or sellers' commission in section 303(4) shall mean a commission or remuneration, commonly known as a spread, paid to or received by any person selling securities either for his own account or for the account of others, which is not in excess of the amount usual and customary in the distribution and sale of issues of similar type and size, and not in excess of the amount allowed to other persons, if any, for comparable service in the distribution of the particular issue; but such term shall not include amounts paid to any person whose function is the management of the distribution of all of a substantial part of the particular issue, or who performs the functions normally performed by an underwriter or underwriting syndicate.
260.3(4)-2 — Definition of “distribution” in section 303(4) for certain transactions.
A person, the chief part of the business of which consists in the purchase of the securities of any one issuer and/or its affiliate and in the sale of its own securities to furnish the proceeds with which to acquire the securities of such issuer and/or affiliate, is to be regarded as engaged in the distribution of the securities of such issuer and/or affiliate within the meaning of section 303(4).
260.3(4)-3 — Definitions of “participates” and “participation” as used in section 303(4), in relation to certain transactions.
(a) The terms participates and participation in section 303(4) shall not include the interest of a person (1) who is neither in privity of contract with the issuer nor affiliated with the issuer, and (2) who has no association with any principal underwriter of the securities being distributed, and (3) whose function in the distribution is confined to an undertaking to purchase all or some specified proportion of the securities remaining unsold after the lapse of some specified period of time, and (4) who purchases such securities for investment and not with a view to distribution.
(b) As used in this section:
(1) The term association shall include a relationship between two persons under which one (i) is affiliated with the other, or (ii) has, in common with the other, one or more partners, directors, officers, trustees, branch managers, or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions or (iii) has a participation, direct or indirect, in the profits of the other, or has a financial stake, by debtor-creditor relationship, stock ownership, contract or otherwise, in the income or business of the other.
(2) The term principal underwriter means an underwriter in privity of contract with the issuer of the securities as to which he is underwriter.