Terms of Use
Effective Date: June 20, 2026
Welcome to the SEC Historical Society website (“the Site”). The Society, through its virtual museum and archive, is dedicated to sharing, preserving, and advancing knowledge of the history of financial regulation by and through the Securities and Exchange Commission. BY ACCESSING OR USING THIS SITE, YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS OF USE, AND THE PRIVACY STATEMENT FOR THIS SITE, JUST AS IF YOU HAD SIGNED IT. If you do not agree to be bound by these Terms of Use, please discontinue your use of the Site.
1. Use of the Site
The Site is intended for educational, informational, and non-commercial use. You agree to use the Site lawfully and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of others or restrict their use of the Site.
You may:
• View, download, and print materials for personal, educational, or research purposes.
• Cite materials with proper attribution.
You may not:
• Use Site content for commercial purposes without prior written permission.
• Modify, reproduce, distribute, or publicly display content beyond fair use without authorization.
• Attempt to interfere with the Site’s functionality or security.
2. Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise noted, all content on the Site—including text, images, documents, and design—is owned by or licensed to the SEC Historical Society.
Some materials may be in the public domain or used under license from third parties. Responsibility for determining copyright status and obtaining permissions for reuse beyond fair use rests with the user.
Proper attribution is required when using any materials from the Site.
3. User Contributions
If you submit content (such as comments, historical materials, or feedback), you grant the SEC Historical Society a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, display, and distribute that content in connection with the Site. You represent that you have the right to submit such content and that it does not violate any laws or third-party rights.
4. Accuracy and Disclaimer
The Site strives for historical accuracy, but materials are provided “as is” for informational purposes. The SEC Historical Society does not guarantee completeness, accuracy, or timeliness.
Historical interpretations may evolve, and the Site may update or revise content at any time without notice.
5. External Links
The Site may contain links to external websites. The SEC Historical Society is not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of third-party sites.
6. Privacy
Use of the Site is also governed by our Privacy Statement, which explains how information may be collected and used.
7. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the SEC Historical Society shall not be liable for any damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, the Site or its content. You assume full responsibility for implementing sufficient procedures and checks to satisfy your requirements for the accuracy and suitability of the Site, including the information, and for maintaining any means that you may require for the reconstruction of lost data or subsequent manipulations or analyses of the information provided hereunder. You acknowledge and agree that your use of the Site, and any information sent or received in connection therewith, may not be secure and may be intercepted by unauthorized parties. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED BY LAW, YOU ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY MAINTENANCE, REPAIR OR CORRECTION TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR OTHER PROPERTY.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE SOCIETY BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OF THE SITE OR WITH THE DELAY OR INABILITY TO USE THE SITE OR OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE SITE, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF THE SOCIETY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGES. THIS WAIVER APPLIES, WITHOUT LIMITATION, TO ANY DAMAGES OR INJURY ARISING FROM ANY FAILURE OF PERFORMANCE, ERROR, OMISSION, INTERRUPTION, DELETION, DEFECT, DELAY IN OPERATION OR TRANSMISSION, COMPUTER VIRUS, FILE CORRUPTION, COMMUNICATION-LINE FAILURE, NETWORK OR SYSTEM OUTAGE, OR THEFT, DESTRUCTION, UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO, ALTERATION OF, OR USE OF ANY RECORD. YOU SPECIFICALLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THE SOCIETY SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DEFAMATORY, OFFENSIVE OR ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF ANY USER OF THE SITE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS, WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.
8. Changes to Terms
The SEC Historical Society may update these Terms of Use at any time. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of those changes.
9. Governing Law
These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of the District of Columbia, without regard to conflict of law principles. These Terms of Use are personal between you and us, and no one shall be a third-party beneficiary to these Terms of Use. Any assignment of the foregoing other than as provided for in this section shall be null and void, ab initio. If any provision of these Terms of Use shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from these Terms of Use, shall be enforced to the fullest extent allowed by law as to affect the intention of the parties, and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. These Terms of Use and any posted operating rules constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether oral or written, between the parties with respect to such subject matter. No waiver of any provision or any right granted hereunder will be effective unless set forth in a written instrument signed by the waiving party. No waiver by either party of any breach or default hereunder shall be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach or default. You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell, or exploit for any commercial purposes, any portion of the Site or access to the Site. The titles and subtitles used in these Terms of Use are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting these Terms of Use.
10. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Society and its directors, officers, employees and agents from and against any and all claims, actions, suits or proceedings, as well as any and all losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or accruing from (a) any material provided by you that infringes any copyright, trademark, trade secret, trade dress, patent or other intellectual property right of any person or defames any person or violates their rights of publicity or privacy, (b) any misrepresentation made by you in connection with your use of the Site; (c) any non-compliance by you with the terms and conditions of these Terms of Use; and (d) claims brought by persons or entities other than the parties to these Terms of Use arising from or related to your access and use of the Site, including the information obtained through the Site.
11. Termination
The Society may, in its sole discretion, terminate your use of the Site, or remove and discard any communication or material transmitted or provided by you, or information stored, sent, or received via the Site or otherwise without prior notice and for any reason, including, but not limited to: any violation of the terms and conditions of these Terms of Use or the rules and regulations relating to the use of, the software and/or data files contained in, or accessed through, the Site, or tampering with or alteration of any of the software and/or data files contained in, or accessed through, the Site. Termination, suspension, or cancellation of these Terms of Use shall not affect any right or relief to which the Society may be entitled, at law or in equity. Upon termination of these Terms of Use, any rights granted to you will automatically terminate and immediately revert to the Society and its licensors.
12. Modification
The Society reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend these Terms of Use, and to modify, add or discontinue any aspect, content, or feature of the Site. Such amendments, modifications, additions or deletions shall become effective upon notice thereof, which may be provided to you by posting on the Site, via e-mail or any other reasonable means. Continued use of the Site by you shall constitute your binding acceptance of any such amendments, modifications, additions or deletions.
13. Contact Information
For questions about these Terms of Use, please contact:
SEC Historical Society
[email protected]
1455 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C., 20004, United States