03-21175. Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change, and Amendment No. 1 Thereto, by the Chicago Board Options Exchange, Inc. Relating to Options Clearing Corporation Liability

August 12, 2003.

Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”)^[1] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,^[2] notice is hereby given that on May 22, 2003, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, Inc. (“CBOE” or “Exchange”) submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by the CBOE. On August 11, 2003, the CBOE submitted Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule change.^[3] The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change, as amended, from interested persons.

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

In connection with the implementation of the Intermarket Options Linkage (the “Linkage”), the CBOE hereby proposes to add an interpretation to CBOE Rule 6.7.

The text of the proposed rule change, as amended, is below.^[4] Proposed additions are in italics.

Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated Rules

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Rule 6.7 Exchange Liability

(a) Except to the extent provided in paragraph (b) of this Rule, and except as otherwise expressly provided in the Rules, neither the Exchange nor its directors, officers, committee members, employees or agents shall be liable to the members of the Exchange or to persons associated therewith for any loss, expense, damages or claims that arise out of the use or enjoyment of the facilities or services afforded by the Exchange, any interruption in or failure or unavailability of any such facilities or services, or any action taken or omitted to be taken in respect to the business of the Exchange except to the extent such loss, expense, damages or claims are attributable to the willful misconduct, gross negligence, bad faith or fraudulent or criminal acts of the Exchange or its officers, employees or agents acting within the scope of their authority. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing and subject to the same exception, the Exchange shall have no liability to any person for any loss, expense, damages or claims that result from any error, omission or delay in calculating or disseminating any current or closing index value, any current or closing value of interest rate options, or any reports of transactions in or quotations for options or other securities, including underlying securities. The Exchange makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of any data transmitted or disseminated by or on behalf of the Exchange or any reporting authority designated by the Exchange, including but not limited to reports of transactions in or quotations for securities traded on the Exchange or underlying securities, or reports of interest rate measures or index values or related data, and the Exchange makes no express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to any such data. The foregoing limitations of liability and disclaimers shall be in addition to, and not in limitation of, the provisions of Article Thirteenth of the Exchange's Certificate of Incorporation.

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* * * Interpretations and Policies

.01-.03 (No change.)

.04 The Intermarket Options Linkage (the “Linkage”), as used to send orders and other information to or from the Exchange, is a facility or service afforded by the Exchange for purposes of Rule 6.7, and the Clearing Corporation shall have no liability to members of the Exchange or to associated persons with respect to the use, non-use or inability to use the Linkage, including, without limitation, the content of orders, trades, or other business facilitated through the Linkage, the truth or accuracy of the content of messages or other information transmitted through the Linkage, or otherwise.

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II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

In its filing with the Commission, the CBOE included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it had received on the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. The CBOE has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.

A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

1. Purpose

In connection with the implementation of the Linkage, the Exchange proposes to add an interpretation to CBOE Rule 6.7. The proposed Interpretation .04 would provide that the Linkage, as used to send orders and other information to or from the Exchange, is a facility or service afforded by the Exchange for purposes of CBOE Rule 6.7, and that the Options Clearing Corporation (“Clearing Corporation”) shall have no liability to members of the Exchange or to associated persons of the members with respect to the use, non-use or inability to use the Linkage, including, without limitation, the content of orders, trades, or other business facilitated through the Linkage, the truth or accuracy of the content of messages or other information transmitted through the Linkage, or otherwise.

2. Statutory Basis

The CBOE believes that its proposal is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act ^[5] in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act ^[6] in particular, in that by limiting certain types of liability against the Exchange and Clearing Corporation with respect to the Linkage, Clearing Corporation will have the capability to continue to develop and enhance the Linkage, thereby facilitating transactions in securities, removing impediments to and perfecting the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system and protecting investors and the public interest.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

The CBOE does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others

The CBOE neither solicited nor received written comments concerning the proposed rule change.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action

Within 35 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register or within such longer period (i) as the Commission may designate up to 90 days of such date if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding, or (ii) as to which the CBOE consents, the Commission will:

(A) by order approve such proposed rule change, as amended; or

(B) institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change, as amended, should be disapproved.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change, as amended, is consistent with the Act. Persons making written submissions should file six copies thereof with the Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20549-0609. Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for inspection and copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room. Copies of such filings will also be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the CBOE. All submissions should refer to File No. SR-CBOE-2003-22 and should be submitted by September 9, 2003.

For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.^[7]

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).

2.  17 CFR 240.19b-4.

3.  See letter from David Doherty, Attorney, Legal Division, CBOE to Tim Fox, Attorney, Division of Market Regulation (“Division”), Commission, dated August 11, 2003 (“Amendment No. 1”). In Amendment No. 1, the CBOE replaced the phrase “persons associated therewith” with the phrase “associated persons.”

4.  The text of the proposed rule change appearing below incorporates a technical correction to the rule text of CBOE Rule 6.7(a) that was filed with the Commission. Telephone conversation between David Doherty, Attorney, Legal Division, CBOE and Tim Fox, Attorney, Commission, on July 30, 2003.

5.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b).

6.  15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5).

7.  17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).