Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox announced today that the combined market capitalization of companies submitting interactive data financial reports to the SEC has surpassed $2 trillion.


From the SEC press release:

With seven companies joining the test group during the past three months — including Alcoa this week — more than 40 companies are now participating in the SEC’s voluntary interactive data filing program. The test group remains open to new participants.

Chairman Cox also said that he expects to make a separate announcement next week about another major milestone being reached in the introduction of interactive financial reporting.

“The continued positive feedback from our enthusiastic group of test filers means that interactive disclosure is well on its way to becoming reality,” said Chairman Cox. “Investors in the future will have instant, user-friendly access to company disclosures that are far more accurate than anything that is possible with today’s EDGAR.”

John White, Director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, added, “We encourage other companies to participate in this interactive data project that will transform how market analysts and ordinary investors alike can obtain and use financial information — in their own personalized formats and for their own personalized analyses.”

Interactive data refers to financial information provided using XBRL (“eXtensible Business Reporting Language”) or any other computer software language that labels companies’ financial data with codes from standard lists called “taxonomies” so that investors and analysts can more easily locate and analyze desired information in a public company’s financial statements.

In April 2005, the SEC began its voluntary interactive data filing program, which allows public companies to voluntarily submit XBRL documents as exhibits to periodic reports and investment company act filings. In early 2006, the SEC established a test group of companies to submit four XBRL-based filings in a 12-month period. These participants provide feedback on manpower, costs, and benefits or deficiencies involved with submitting XBRL filings. In return, the SEC staff provides expedited reviews of registration statements or Form 10-Ks from test group participants.

For more information, see the SEC homepage.

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The Law Offices of Michael H. Cohen offers corporate legal services, litigation consultation, and expertise in health law with a unique focus on holistic, alternative, complementary, and integrative medical therapies. The law firm represents medical doctors, allied health professionals (from psychologists to nurses and dentists) and other clinicians (from chiropractors to naturopathic physicians, massage therapists, and acupuncturists), entrepreneurs, hospitals, and educational organizations, health care institutions, and individuals and corporations.

Michael H. Cohen is Principal in Law Offices of Michael H. Cohen and also President of a nonprofit organization exploring legal, regulatory, ethical, and health policy issues in the judicious integration of complementary and alternative medical therapies (such as acupuncture and traditional oriental medicine, chiropractic, naturopathic medicine, homeopathy, massage therapy, energy healing, and herbal medicine) and conventional clinical care. Michael H. Cohen is author of books on health care law, regulation, ethics and policy dealing with complementary, alternative and integrative medicine, including Healing at the Borderland of Medicine and Religion, Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Legal Boundaries and Regulatory Perspectives (1998), Beyond Complementary Medicine: Legal and Ethical Perspectives on Health Care and Human Evolution (2000), and Future Medicine: Ethical Dilemmas, Regulatory Challenges, and Therapeutic Pathways to Health Care and Healing in Human Transformation (2003).

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Health care and corporate lawyer Michael H. Cohen has been admitted to the Bar of California, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington D.C. In addition to qualifying as a U.S. attorney, he has been admitted and to the Bar of England and Wales as a Solicitor (non-practicing). For more information regarding the law practice of attorney Michael H. Cohen, see the FAQs for the Law Offices of Michael H. Cohen. Thank you for visiting the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Law Blog.

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