This section emphasizes U.S. federal law which impacts foreign Internet companies doing
business in the United States.
| American Arbitration Association (AAA) |
Provides
International Arbitration Rules. |
| International
Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) |
Part
of the World Bank; arbitrates
disputes between governments and foreign investors pursuant to 1966
Rules. |
| World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) |
Sponsored
1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign
Arbitral Awards |
| Arbitration
Institute of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce |
Provides rules and arbitrates commercial disputes. |
| Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. Secs. 78a, 78m, 78t, 78dd-1, 78dd-2,
78ff (1977, amended 1988) |
Prohibits
U.S. companies and officials from engaging in bribery and other corrupt
practices in foreign markets. Grants enforcement authority to Securities
and Exchange Commission in civil matters and the Justice
Department in criminal matters. |
| Chicago
Mercantile Exchange |
Market
for trading of currency futures and options. |
| Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) |
U.S.
agency that regulates trading of futures and options contracts for
foreign currencies. |
| International Finance Corporation |
Provides currency swaps to companies in developing countries. |
| Communications
Act, 47 U.S.C. Sec. 310(b) |
Prohibits
foreign corporations from receiving FCC licenses to own and operate
telecommunications instruments. |
| FCC
Report and Order 97-398 |
Nov.
25, 1997 Order facilitates entry by foreign service providers and
investors into the U.S. telecommunications market. |
| Overseas
Private Investment Corporation |
Provides
insurance to U.S. investors and exporters to cover the political risks
of currency inconvertibility, expropriation, and political violence. |
| Overseas
Private Investment Corporation |
Provides
loans and loan guarantees to finance projects involving U.S. businesses. |
| African
Development Bank |
Finances
projects in Africa. |
| Asian
Development Bank |
Provides
loans to develop Asian infrastructure, including telecommunications. |
| European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
Provides
loans, guarantees, and equity investments to private sector projects
in Central and Eastern Europe. |
| Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) |
Finances
projects to develop infrastructure, including telecommunications,
in Latin America and Caribbean. |
| International
Finance Corporation (IFC) |
Offers
loans, equity investments and other financial instruments, including
hedging and swap transactions, to private companies in emerging countries. |
| World
Bank |
Provides
loans and guarantees to private telecom investors through its Telecommunications
and Informatics Division (IENTI). |
| Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC) |
U.S.
agency that regulates the primary and secondary securities markets
in the United States pursuant to the federal securities laws. Its
website contains the searchable EDGAR
database of forms filed with the SEC by all U.S. and some foreign
public companies. |
| Securities
Act, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 77a-aa (1933) |
Established
SEC and creates legal framework for SEC regulation of initial public
offerings (IPOs) in the United States. |
| Securities
Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 78a-78jj (1934) |
Authorized
SEC to regulate secondary market for securities. |
| Rule
701 |
Federal
exemption for common stock offered to employees and contractors. |
| Sec.
4(2) and Regulation
D |
Federal
exemption for preferred stock offered in a private placement to accredited
or sophisticated outside investors. |
| State
securities regulators |
Issuers
must seek exemption under state Blue Sky (securities) laws to avoid
registration with the state regulators. |
| California
Code Sec. 25102(o) |
State
exemption for common stock offered to employees and contractors. |
| California
Code Sec. 25102(f) |
State
exemption for preferred stock offered in a private placement to accredited
or sophisticated outside investors. |
| SEC
LAW.com |
List
of state Blue Sky regulators and the securities laws of each state. |
| SEC
LAW.com |
Securities
law information, including sections on corporate finance, investors,
brokers, arbitration, and compliance; articles, statutes, discussion
groups, and links to more resources. |
| International
Organization of Securities Commissions |
Forum
for cooperation on issues affecting international securities transactions. |
| Financial
Services Authority |
U.K.
agency that regulates the primary and secondary securities markets
in the United Kingdom pursuant to the Financial Services Act of 1986. |
| American
Stock Exchange |
Market
which lists non-U.S. companies. |
| Export-Import
Bank (EXIM) |
Provides
loans and loan guarantees to U.S. exporters. |
| Asian
Development Bank |
Provides
export credits. |
| European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
Guarantees
letters of credit to local banks and supports private sector clients
in Central and Eastern Europe. |
| SEC
Rule 144 |
Permits
the sale of restricted securities without registration with the SEC. |
| SEC
Rule 145 |
Requires
registration with the SEC when a merger, acquisition, or asset transfer
occurs. |
| National
Venture Capital Association |
Trade
organization representing venture capital firms in the United States;
site provides links to more resources. |
