• 沒有找到結果。

證券法註冊義務的豁免規定,先由證券法Section 4(a)(6)將募集金額 100 萬 美元內,個人投資金額10 萬美元內之群眾募資列為豁免交易,豁免於美國證券 法Section 5 之註冊義務,再由美國證券法 Setion 4A 配合規範群眾募資中介機 構與發行人的義務與其他群眾募資要求。

第一款 股權群眾募資之定義:豁免交易條件

JOBS ACT Section 302(a)新增證券法 Section 4(a)(6)之群眾募資豁免交易,

其中包含四個群眾募資交易豁免條件,分別規範募集金額、投資金額、中介機 構和發行人,若交易涉及任何發行人(包含所有受發行人控制或一般控制

(common control)的法人(entities))所要約或銷售(offer or sale)的證券符

合此四個條件,則該交易可豁免於註冊義務:

1. 募集金額上限

當次群眾募資發行前12 個月內,群眾募資發行人銷售給所有投資人之 證券總金額,包含群眾募資證券,不得超過100 萬美元。

2. 投資金額上限

當次群眾募資發行前12 個月內,群眾募資發行人銷售給任何投資人之 證券總金額,包含群眾募資證券,不得超過下列數值:

(1) 若投資人之年收入或淨資產其中之一少於 10 萬美元,為 2000 美元 或「年收入或淨資產之5%」,取其較高者。

(2) 若投資人之年收入或淨資產其中之一等於或多於 10 萬美元,為年收 入或淨資產之10%,最高為 10 萬美元。

3. 募集必須透過中介機構(intermediary)進行,而中介機構必須遵守美國證 券法Section 4A(a)所規定的群眾募資中介機構義務;

4. 發行人(issuer)必須遵守美國證券法 Section 4A(b)所規定之群眾募資發行 人義務。

第二款 股權群眾募資之內容:適用要求與相關規範

依據JOBS Act Section 302(a)新增之美國證券法 Section 4(a)(6)(C)和 Section 4(a)(6)(D),JOBS Act Section 302(b)再新增美國證券法 Section 4A,配合規範群 眾募資中介機構和發行人的義務,以及「發行人之民事責任條款與適格條款」、

「群眾募資證券的轉售限制」,以及「監理資訊的共享」等其他群眾募資的相關 要求,建構完整之群眾募資規範。

第一目 中介機構義務

群眾募資中介機構之義務有註冊、資訊揭露、投資人資格確認、減少詐欺 風險措施、平台運作要求、投資人隱私權保護措施、給付第三方報酬之限制與

利益衝突限制等等。其中,註冊義務的部分,包含向SEC 註冊為證券經紀商或 募資平台,以及向合格自律組織註冊成為會員。資訊揭露的部分,包含風險、

投資人教育資料、發行人應揭露資訊。投資人資格確認的部分,包含教育資料 檢視、問卷填寫和投資金額上限。平台運作要求的部分,包含應募資金移轉條 件與投資承諾之撤銷。

第二目 發行人義務

群眾募資發行人之義務有資訊揭露、廣告限制、給付推廣人報酬之限制與 繼續揭露。其中,資訊揭露的部分,包含發行人基本資訊、管理層、大股東、

財務狀況、財務報告、應募資金使用、募集條件(目標募集金額、募集期限、

發行價格)、募集進程和所有權與資本結構等等。

第三目 發行人資訊不實民事責任條款

銷售群眾募資證券和其他證券之要約和銷售(offers and sales)一樣,同樣 受到美國證券法和證券交易法中資訊不實民事責任條款的規範,但是

CROWDFUND Act 針對依據美國證券法 Section 4(6)所為之發行(Section 4(6) offerings)設計了一個新的資訊不實民事責任條款:若發行人在跨州際的商業活 動中,使用任何運輸或通訊的方法或工具,或經由郵件,進行依據Section 4(6) 豁免規定而要約或銷售證券之交易時,在書面或口頭的溝通上,對重大事實行 不實陳述,或隱匿「應陳述」之重大事實,或隱匿「使陳述於做成當時不致誤 導」之重大事實,在證券購買人不知情的情況下,新的美國證券法Section 4A(c)將課與發行人民事責任232

232 Securities Act of 1933 § 4A(c)(2)(A), JOBS Act, Pub. L. No. 112-106, § 302(b), 126 Stat. 306 (2012) (to be codied at 15 U.S.C.A. § 77d-1(c)(2)(A)).

此處所稱的詐欺(fraud)和其他聯邦證券法規的詐欺條款相似,如 Rule 10b-5233和證券法Section 12(a)(2)234、Section 17(a)235。詐欺(fraud)被定義為:

233 Exchange Act Rule 10b-5, 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5 (2011).

法條原文:

「It shall be unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly, by the use of any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, or of the mails or of any facility of any national securities exchange, (a) To employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud,

(b) To make any untrue statement of a material fact or to omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or

(c) To engage in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any person, in connection with the purchase or sale of any security.」

234 Securities Act of 1933 § 12(a), 15 U.S.C.A. § 77l(a) (2011).

法條原文:

「Any person who-

(1) offers or sells a security in violation of section 77e of this title, or

(2) offers or sells a security (whether or not exempted by the provisions of section 77c of this title, other than paragraphs (2) and (14) of subsection (a) of said section), by the use of any means or instruments of transportation or communication in interstate commerce or of the mails, by means of a prospectus or oral communication, which includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (the purchaser not knowing of such untruth or omission), and who shall not sustain the burden of proof that he did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of such untruth or omission, ……shall be liable, subject to subsection (b), to the person purchasing such security from him, who may sue either at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction, to recover the consideration paid for such security with interest thereon, less the amount of any income received thereon, upon the tender of such security, or for damages if he no longer owns the security.」

235 Securities Act of 1933 § 17(a), 15 U.S.C.A. § 77q(a) (2011).

法條原文:

「It shall be unlawful for any person in the offer or sale of any securities (including security-based swaps) or any security-based swap agreement (as defined in section 78c(a)(78) 1 of this title) by the use of any means or instruments of transportation or communication in interstate commerce or by use of the mails, directly or indirectly-

(1) to employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud, or

「對重大事實行不實陳述,或隱匿「應陳述」之重大事實,或隱匿「使陳述於 做成當時不致誤導」之重大事實236」。但是美國證券法Section 4A(c)(2)(A)條文 中的「required to be stated」在 Rule 10b-5、證券法 Section 17 和 Section 12(a)(2) 的條文中並未出現,這會造成不論該隱匿行為是否誤導投資人,依據豁免規定 應揭露而未揭露重大事實即有責任237

在依Section 4(6)規定豁免之交易中購買證券的任何個人,皆可依 Section 4A(c)的規定提起訴訟238。推測可知,這個規定將可提起訴訟的權利人限縮在發 行當時實際向發行人購買之人,並且將可能限制後續轉售的購買人提起訴訟的 權利,因為他們並不會直接購買依Section 4(6)豁免之交易中的證券239。Section 11 則允許持有依豁免交易發行之證券的任何人提起訴訟,只要該證券回溯至發 行當時有詐欺(fraudulent)情事,而不需在發行當時直接向發行人或承銷商購 買證券240

(2) to obtain money or property by means of any untrue statement of a material fact or any omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or

(3) to engage in any transaction, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the purchaser.」

236 Securities Act of 1933 § 4A(c)(2)(A), JOBS Act, Pub. L. No. 112-106, § 302(b), 126 Stat. 306 (2012) (to be codified at 15 U.S.C.A. § 77d-1(c)(2)(A)). 法條原文:「……makes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated or necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, ……」

237 C Steven Bradford, The New Federal Crowdfunding Exemption: Promise Unfulfilled, 40 SEC.REG. L.J.195, 242, fn. 184 (2012) (hereinafter Bradford, The New Exemption).

238 Securities Act of 1933 § 4A(c)(1)(A), JOBS Act, Pub. L. No. 112-106, § 302(b), 126 Stat. 306 (2012) (to be codied at 15 U.S.C.A. § 77d-1(c)(1)(A)).原文為:「a person who purchases a security in a transaction exempted by the provisions of section 4(6) ……」

239 Bradford, The New Exemption, supra note 237, at 210.

240 Securities Act of 1933 § 11(a), 15 U.S.C. § 77k(a) (2010); id., at 242.

投資人若能證明發行人違反Section 4A(c)(2)的規定而有不實之陳述,投資 人可以提出(tender)該證券,要求返還買價包含利息(recover the consideration paid with interest),扣除因持有此證券而獲得之額外收益(股利、股息)(less the amount of any income received thereon.)241。如果投資人不再持有該證券,可 要求損害賠償(recover damages)242,然而法條中並未說明損失如何計算。

投資人不需要證明發行人之詐欺行為造成其損失。Section 4A(c)納入證券法 Section 12(b)的反面因果關係防禦(negative causation defense),將損失因果關 係的舉證責任(loss causation burden)置於發行人身上243。發行人可以舉證價 值之減損乃出於詐欺以外的因素,而避免全部或部分的責任244

投資人亦不需要證明發行人之行為出於故意(acted with scienter),但若發 行人可以證明其「不知情,且盡合理的注意義務亦不可能知道如此之不實陳述 或隱匿」,則被告可以免責245。這段文字和證券法Section 12(a)(2)中的文字相同

246,可以推論做相同的解釋247。此外,Section 4A(c)和證券法 Section 11 與 12(a)(2)一樣,明確地指出若投資人知悉不實或隱匿陳述,則投資人不得獲得賠 (2012) (to be codfied at 15 U.S.C.A. § 77d-1(c)(1)(B)).

244 Securities Act of 1933 § 12(b), 15 U.S.C.A. § 77l(b) (2010).

245 Securities Act of 1933 § 4A(c)(2)(B), JOBS Act, Pub. L. No. 112-106, § 302(b), 126 Stat. 306 (2012) (to be codied at 15 U.S.C.A. § 77d-1(c)(2)(B)). 法條原文:「(the issuer) does not sustain the burden of proof that such issuer did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of such untruth or omission.」

246 Securities Act of 1933 § 12(a)(2), 15 U.S.C.A. § 77l(a)(2) (2010). 法條原文:「…and who shall not sustain the burden of proof that he did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of such untruth or omission, …」

247 Bradford, The New Exemption, supra note 237, at 211.

248

Section 4A(c)的訴訟原因適用依 Section 12(a)(2)規定提出訴訟時,證券法 Section 13 對訴訟原因所為的規範249。根據Section 13,訴訟須在發現不實陳述 或隱匿後一年內,或在已盡合理調查即會發現後一年內提出,但不能超過銷售 後三年250

Section 4A(c)課與「發行人」民事責任251,但是發行人一詞在廣義的定義下 不僅包含實際發行人,也包括:

任何人身為發行人的董事或合夥人(director or partner),及發行人的

「主要執行主管或經理群(principal executive officer or officers)」、「主要財 務主管(principal financaial officer)」和「會計長或主要會計主管

(controller or principal accounting officer)」(及任何居於相似地位或執行相 似功能之人),而(該發行人)在依Section 4(6)條文豁免的交易中要約或 (2012) (to be codified at 15 U.S.C.A. § 77d-1(c)(1)(B)).

250 Securities Act of 1933 § 13, 15 U.S.C.A. § 77m (2010).

251 Securities Act of 1933 § 4A(c)(2), JOBS Act, Pub. L. No. 112-106, § 302(b), 126 Stat. 306 (2012) (to be codied at 15 U.S.C.A. § 77d-1(c)(2)) (“An issuer shall be liable. . ..”).

252 Securities Act of 1933 § 4A(c)(3), JOBS Act, Pub. L. No. 112-106, § 302(b), 126 Stat. 306 (2012) (to be codied at 15 U.S.C.A. § 77d-1(c)(3)). 原文為:「As used in this subsection, the term

‘issuer’includes any person who is a director or partner of the issuer, and the principal executive officer or officers, principal financial officer, and controller or principal accounting officer of the issuer (and any person occupying a similar status or performing a similar function) that offers or sells a security in a transaction exempted by the provisions of section 4(6), and any person who offers or sells the security in such offering.」The “partner of the issuer” language is ambiguous. It

這個定義的條文內容引發幾個問題253。首先,括號中的文字「及任何居於 相同地位或執行相同功能之人」僅適用於會計長或主要會計主管,還是適用於 括號前所列的全部類別之人並不清楚254,這個立法方式同樣見於群眾募資發行 人的公司一般資訊揭露義務上,Section 4A(b)(1)(B)規定發行人應揭露發行人之 董事與高階主管(及任何居於相同地位或執行相同功能之人)的姓名255

其次,所列出的董事、合夥人和主要主管是否必須其自身有要約或銷售證 券的行為而成為「發行人」並不清楚。「在依Section4(6)條文豁免的交易中要約 或銷售(offers or sells)證券」(that offers or sells a security in a transaction exempted by the provisions of section 4(6))一句顯然修飾「發行人」一詞(兩者 意思相同),因此上述列出的個人本身不需要約或銷售證券,只要與要約或銷售 受Section 4(6)規範證券的發行人有連結即有責任。但是條文中的「要約或銷

其次,所列出的董事、合夥人和主要主管是否必須其自身有要約或銷售證 券的行為而成為「發行人」並不清楚。「在依Section4(6)條文豁免的交易中要約 或銷售(offers or sells)證券」(that offers or sells a security in a transaction exempted by the provisions of section 4(6))一句顯然修飾「發行人」一詞(兩者 意思相同),因此上述列出的個人本身不需要約或銷售證券,只要與要約或銷售 受Section 4(6)規範證券的發行人有連結即有責任。但是條文中的「要約或銷