To: Rocket Red who wrote (133910 ) 6/11/2004 5:41:15 PM From: Jim Bishop Respond to of 150070 Cool, always a good day when you learn something new.rs.ca Universal Market Integrity Rules (UMIR) Prior to RS's inception, each exchange regulated trading on its own marketplace with its own set of trading rules, some of which were similar and some of which varied from exchange to exchange. RS introduced the Universal Market Integrity Rules (UMIR) as a common set of equities trading rules designed to ensure fairness and maintain investor confidence. These rules essentially create the framework for the integrity of trading activity on marketplaces and allow for the competitive operation of exchanges, quotation and trade reporting systems (QTRSs) and alternative trading systems (ATSs) in Canada. UMIR has been established to regulate various trading practices, including manipulative or deceptive methods of trading, short selling, frontrunning, best execution obligations, order entry and order exposure, as well as trading halts, delays and suspensions. UMIR seeks to foster trading of securities in a fair and transparent manner. The cornerstone of these integrity rules is universality, in that UMIR: Applies to trading on any Canadian marketplaces that retain RS as their market regulation services provider Applies equally to each class of marketplace participants Cannot be circumvented by directing trading activity to another marketplace Applies to trading of all forms of listed or quoted securities Incorporates exceptions to the rules to accommodate the workings of an individual marketplace or ATS UMIR was established through a consultative process involving industry representatives, legal and compliance officers, the exchanges, trade association representatives, and the provincial Securities Commissions. Since markets are dynamic, not static, there is a constant need to evaluate possible changes or revisions to the rules to ensure market integrity. UMIR and its companion policies are reviewed and updated by RS in consultation with RS's Rules Advisory Committee.