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OpenEDGAR: Open Source Software for SEC EDGAR Analysis

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Computational Legal Studies: “Our next paper — OpenEDGAR – Open Source Software for SEC Edgar Analysis is now available.  This paper explores a range of #OpenSource tools we have developed to explore the EDGAR system operated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  While a range of more sophisticated extraction and clause classification protocols can be developed leveraging LexNLP and other open and closed source tools, we provide some very simple code examples as an illustrative starting point.

Click here for Paper:   < SSRN > < arXiv >
Access Codebase Here: < Github >

Abstract:  OpenEDGAR is an open source Python framework designed to rapidly construct research databases based on the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system operated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). OpenEDGAR is built on the Django application framework, supports distributed compute across one or more servers, and includes functionality to (i) retrieve and parse index and filing data from EDGAR, (ii) build tables for key metadata like form type and filer, (iii) retrieve, parse, and update CIK to ticker and industry mappings, (iv) extract content and metadata from filing documents, and (v) search filing document contents. OpenEDGAR is designed for use in both academic research and industrial applications, and is distributed under MIT License at https://github.com/LexPredict/openedgar“

You Can’t Opt Out Of Sharing Your Data, Even If You Didn’t Opt In

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FiveThirtyEight: “…Yonatan Zunger, a former Google privacy engineer, noted we’ve known for a long time that one person’s personal information is never just their own to share. It’s the idea behind the old proverb, “Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.” And as far back as the 1960s, said Jennifer Lynch,… Continue Reading

SEC Launches Additional Investor Protection Search Tool

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News release: “The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the launch of an additional online search feature that enables investors to research whether the person trying to sell them investments has a judgment or order entered against them in an enforcement action. The new tool is intended to assist the public in making informed investment… Continue Reading

Equifax data breach fallout – hundreds of class action suits and SEC subpoena

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Equifax faces hundreds of class-action lawsuits and an SEC subpoena over the way it handled its data breach “Equifax, the credit reporting firm, is facing more than 240 class-action lawsuits from consumers — in addition to suits from shareholders and financial institutions — over the way it handled a massive data breach that affected 145.5 million Americans. The… Continue Reading

Google – Updating our Transparency Report and electronic privacy laws

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“Today, we are releasing the latest version of our Transparency Report concerning government requests for user data. This includes government requests for user data in criminal cases, as well as national security matters under U.S. law. Google fought for the right to publish this information in court and before Congress, and we continue to believe… Continue Reading

Secure EDGAR data breach exploited for possible insider trading w updates

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Statement on Cybersecurity Chairman Jay Clayton, Sept. 20, 2017 “…Notwithstanding our efforts to protect our systems and manage cybersecurity risk, in certain cases cyber threat actors have managed to access or misuse our systems.  In August 2017, the Commission learned that an incident previously detected in 2016 may have provided the basis for illicit gain… Continue Reading

SEC Filer Manual – Volume II EDGAR Filing July 2017

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July 2017 EDGAR Filer Manual (Volume II) Notice – “Use this EDGAR® Filer Manual when making electronic filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or “Commission”). See Rule 301 of Regulation S-T. The EDGAR Filer Manual consists of three volumes. EDGAR Filer Manual (Volume I) General Information introduces the requirements for becoming… Continue Reading

Guide to Social Media and Securities Laws

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Jay Baris and Bradley Berman, MOFO Jumpstarter, August 14, 2017. “The growing use of social media has created challenges for federal securities regulators, who must enforce antifraud rules that were written at a time when the prevailing technology was the newspaper. This Guide summarizes how regulation has evolved in the face of the growing use… Continue Reading

Search SEC historical EDGAR filings

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“Welcome to the archive of historical EDGAR documents. This search allows you to enter complex queries to retrieve all but the most recent day’s EDGAR filings (from 1994 through 2017). If a simple search will suffice or if you need real-time, up-to-the-minute filings, please visit the main EDGAR Search page for other choices.” Continue Reading

Sqoop – free data journalism site makes it easier to find and track public records

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Data Driven Journalism: “Just because there’s a duty to disclose, doesn’t mean there’s a duty to make it easy. This seems to be a universally true when it comes to public records, regardless of the country or government making them available. The consequences for journalists can be profound: hours of time spent digging through messy… Continue Reading

Securities and Commodities Exchange Litigation Up 37 Percent

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“The latest available data from the federal courts show that during May 2017 the government reported 128 new securities and commodities exchange civil filings. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University, monthly filings when compared with those of the same period in the previous year were… Continue Reading