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15 U.S. Code § 78lll. Definitions
For purposes of this chapter, including the application of the Bankruptcy Act to a liquidation proceeding:(1) Commission
The term “Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
(2) Customer
(A) In general
The term “customer” of a debtor means any person (including any person with whom the debtor deals as principal or agent) who has a claim on account of securities received, acquired, or held by the debtor in the ordinary course of its business as a broker or dealer from or for the securities accounts of such person for safekeeping, with a view to sale, to cover consummated sales, pursuant to purchases, as collateral, security, or for purposes of effecting transfer.
(B) Included personsThe 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 personsThe 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
The term “customer name securities” means securities which were held for the account of a customer on the filing date by or on behalf of the debtor and which on the filing date were registered in the name of the customer, or were in the process of being so registered pursuant to instructions from the debtor, but does not include securities registered in the name of the customer which, by endorsement or otherwise, were in negotiable form.
(4) Customer propertyThe 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.