US Consolidated Tape System

Policies

Policies

SEQ 001

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Plan Policies

CT Plan Policies

Policies

The complete CT Plan Policies governing licensing, reporting, billing and compliance across Tapes A, B and C.

Document information

Scope
Tapes A · B · C
Effective
APR 01 2027
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SEQ 002

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Key Changes

A summary of key changes

The new CT Plan Policies replace the existing CTA and UTP Plan Policies with a number of important modifications designed to improve the clarity and simplify CT Plan administration.

TopicLegacy: CTA & UTP PlansNew: CT Plan
Administration Legacy · CTA + UTPTwo administrators, two policy sets, two portals, two audit programs New · CT PlanOne administrator (DataCT LLC), one policy, one portal, one compliance program across Tapes A, B and C
Subscriber classification Legacy · CTA + UTPRegistration-based “Securities Professional” tests; different question sets per plan New · CT PlanUsage-based classification with one simple qualification and attestation, applied identically across all Tapes
Non-Professional counting Legacy · CTA + UTPDevice-oriented counting (CTA) and differing per-subscriber rules (UTP) New · CT PlanEach natural person engaged in Nonprofessional Usage is counted once, regardless of devices, applications or access points; sliding-scale fees
Professional User Netting Legacy · CTA + UTPTwo separate MISU programs, each requiring an annual audit at the firm’s expense New · CT PlanOne Professional User Netting Program; periodic control reviews and attestations replace the annual audit
Attribution Legacy · CTA + UTPScreen-by-screen display statements designed for terminals New · CT PlanPractical service-level attribution designed for displays, APIs, feeds, datasets and AI services
Delayed data Legacy · CTA + UTPDifferent fee and agreement treatment under each plan New · CT PlanA uniform 15-minute delayed data license across all Tapes; no usage reporting for delayed or end-of-day redistribution
Compliance Legacy · CTA + UTPOverlapping plan-by-plan audits New · CT PlanA graduated, controls-based program with good-faith protection for redistributors
Contract audit clauses Legacy · CTA + UTPCPA-certified device-count reports at the vendor’s expense, plus reimbursement of the administrator’s audit costs for underreporting (UTP) New · CT PlanLicense Reviews, attestations and compliance surveys follow the graduated Policies framework, with good-faith protections. Compliance Reviews conducted transparently and deterministically

SEQ 003

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Policy Changes

Policy objectives

  1. 01

    Unified Policies

    A single, unified set of Policies for all three Tapes, consistent terms, definitions and administration processes. One dedicated Administrator (DataCT), a new digital portal consolidatedtape.com for streamlined administration.

  2. 02

    Clear, unambiguous terms

    Clear terminology and policy rules to reduce ambiguity and compliance risk. Online policy interpretation FAQs, support desk and online data license inventory for a shared, single source of truth to eliminate guesswork and reconciliations.

  3. 03

    Modernized Rules

    Policies that acknowledge and recognize how data is used in modern markets and technologies.

  4. 04

    Objective, Control Focus

    Enhanced focus on how data access and usage is controlled and managed supporting a more objective and clear compliance regime.

SEQ 007

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Registration · CT Plan Transition

Register for your account migration.

DataCT will migrate your CTA and UTP Plan account information and agreements to the new Plan and administration system.