Updated Statement On The Effect Of The Court Of Appeals Decision On The Conflict Minerals Rule - SEC Division Of Corporation Finance

On August 18, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reaffirmed its prior holding that Section 13(p)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act and Rule 13p-1 “violate the First Amendment to the extent the statute and rule require regulated entities to report to the Commission and to state on their website that any of their products have ‘not been found to be “DRC conflict free.”’”[1]  On April 3, 2017, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered final judgment in the case and remanded to the Commission.[2]