Last ûpdated on October 16, 2009

Please read these terms carefully before using this website.

Welcome to the website of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
Our website provides general information, tools and forms for the various entities overseen by the AMF as well as for consumers of financial products and services. When you use the AMF website, you are also subject to the terms of use described below. Please read them before using the AMF website or the tools offered here.

Acceptance
This page describes the terms of use for the AMF website. The AMF privacy policy is an integral part of the website terms of use (known collectively as the “Terms of Use”) and, together with these Terms of Use, represents the complete agreement between the AMF and you regarding your use of the site. When you access the AMF website and visit different pages or download documents, forms, tools, or calculators (known collectively as “the AMF website”), you accept the Terms of Use. AMF website content is made available subject to your acceptance of the Terms of Use and any modifications the AMF may make to them.

Modifications
At its discretion, the AMF may modify any part of the Terms of Use at any time. Each time you visit the AMF website, check this page to see when it was last updated and whether the Terms of Use have been modified. You are bound by any such modifications.
The AMF may, at its discretion, suspend, cease, or limit usage of any part of its website at any time, without prior notice or responsibility.

Restrictions relating to use of the AMF website and its content
AMF website content is presented for your personal use, for educational or information purposes only. You may download or print copies of any page(s) or use the tools and forms on the AMF website for your personal use in the manner indicated; however, you may not sell, distribute, publish, display, modify, link to a database, copy, reproduce, or re-use any AMF web content in any manner whatsoever—including, without limitation, any text, image, sound, or video documents—without obtaining the prior written permission from the AMF. You may not modify any AMF website page in any way. Any permitted reproduction of a webpage must include a notice stating that the copyright of said page belongs to the AMF. Any other usage, communication, or reproduction of AMF website content is prohibited.
Information and material on the AMF website is provided for information purposes only. The purpose of the AMF website is not to offer legal or financial advice, or to promote third party products or services. Depending on your requirements and situation, the AMF suggests that you consult a professional advisor. Note that regulations governing the Québec financial sector constitute the sole official reference for any and all matters.

Intellectual property
Unless otherwise stated, you should assume that all AMF website content is the property of the AMF, is protected by copyright law, and that without prior written permission from the AMF this content may be used, reproduced, or distributed only as described in the Terms of Use.

AMF trademarks, names, and logos, whether registered or not, may be used only with the prior written permission from the AMF.

Hyperlinks
You may not create links between another site and the AMF website without the prior written permission from the AMF. Unless otherwise specifically agreed, such hyperlinks must not imply or state that the AMF is associated in any way whatsoever with another website, or that the AMF has approved its content. The AMF reserves the right to request at any time that a hyperlink be removed.

From time to time, the AMF website may provide hyperlinks to other third party sites, enabling users to leave the AMF website to access them, or it may incorporate material from other websites. The AMF is not able to alter, update, or control the content of these websites accessed by hyperlink or other means. The AMF does not approve the content of such sites and is not responsible for the products and services they offer. When you leave the AMF website, the Terms of Use, including the privacy policy, no longer apply. Accordingly, you should carefully read the terms of use and privacy policies of other sites you visit.

Exclusion of liability
WHEN YOU USE THE AMF WEBSITE, INCLUDING ITS TOOLS, FORMS, AND INFORMATION, YOU AGREE TO DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE AMF MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY WHATSOEVER REGARDING ITS WEBSITE, INCLUDING THE TOOLS, FORMS, AND INFORMATION IT PROVIDES. ALL TOOLS, FORMS, AND INFORMATION ON THE AMF WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED WITHOUT LEGAL WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLICIT. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, THE AMF DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE AMF WEBSITE WILL CONTINUE TO FUNCTION, THAT IT WILL FUNCTION WITHOUT DISRUPTION, OR THAT IT WILL BE ERROR-FREE. THE AMF DOES NOT MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION RELATIVE TO THE USE OF OR RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM AMF WEBSITE TOOLS, FORMS, AND INFORMATION, OR TO THEIR RELIABILITY, ACCURACY, OR CORRECTNESS.

Limited liability
SUBJECT TO ANY MANDATORY PROVISIONS OF LAW, THE AMF WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING IN PARTICULAR DIRECT OR INDIRECT CLAIMS RESULTING FROM USE OF THE AMF WEBSITE, INCLUDING ITS TOOLS, FORMS, AND INFORMATION, OR RESULTING FROM USE OF ANY OTHER SITE CONNECTED BY HYPERLINK. THIS LIMITATION APPLIES IN PARTICULAR TO DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS, INFORMATION, PROGRAMS OR DATA, LOSS OF PROFITS AND LOSS OF REVENES, EVEN IF THE AMF IS EXPRESSLY NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Applicable law
These Terms of Use, including the privacy policy, are governed by the laws in force in the province of Québec. You agree that any dispute relating to the interpretation, application, or execution of the Terms of Use or use of the AMF website shall be settled by the relevant courts in the province of Québec.

Technical specifications
The AMF website is optimized for Microsoft Internet Explorer 6+ and Mozilla Firefox 2.0+ browsers and screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels.

Regarding accessibility by persons with disabilities, the AMF website complies with Conformance Level A, as defined by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

The AMF’s policy regarding the protection of personal information collected or provided via the AMF website is an integral part of the Terms of Use. By accessing the AMF website, you agree to the collection and use of personal information by the AMF under the terms stated in this section and to the AMF website Terms of Use.

The AMF is subject to the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information (the “Access to Information Act”). The AMF has also adopted two codes of ethics and professional conduct. The first applies to the President and CEO, and the second to all staff members, including public office holders. The AMF President and CEO, superintendents, corporate secretary and executive directors are considered public office holders. These codes of ethics (in French only) may be consulted on the AMF website.

Cookies and transmission of technical information
When you visit the AMF website, our servers temporarily place files known as “cookies” on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies let us retain selected important information regarding your use of the AMF website (for statistical purposes only). This information helps us ensure the best possible connection; it also lets us know how many users visit the website, what technology they use, and what pages are visited most. Information that may be collected by the AMF is not used to profile users and is not shared with private organizations.
 
The following information is transmitted from your computer to the AMF website server:

• your Internet domain name, if you have a private Internet access account;
• your IP address (IP stands for “Internet Protocol,” a series of numbers that identify your location on the Internet);
• the browser and operating system you use to access the AMF website; 
• the date and time of your connection to the AMF website;
• the AMF website pages you visit;
• the address of the site that directed you to the AMF website, if applicable.

Transmission of personal information
The AMF recommends that you not use the Internet or e-mail to transfer any personal information unless you have encrypted it. If you voluntarily send us personal information by e-mail or by completing an AMF website form, the site will use only the information needed to respond to your message or request. The AMF will not transmit personal information to other organizations unless the request is addressed to a specific body or the law so requires.
Under the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information, if the AMF asks you for personal information you will be informed of the following:

• the name and address of the public body for which the request is  being made;
• the fact that a reply is mandatory or optional;
• the consequences of refusing to reply;
• the purpose for which the information is being collected;
• the categories of persons who will have access to the information; and
• your rights to access and correct information provided by law.

E-mail address
If you subscribe to the AMF’s E-mail Info feature or to any other electronic media available on the AMF website, you must provide your e-mail address. The AMF will use this address only to send periodic information regarding its activities or those of its partners.

Comments or questions
All comments or questions regarding the AMF website should be addressed to an AMF information officer by e-mail: information@lautorite.qc.ca.

Should you encounter any technical problems while using the AMF website, contact our webmaster.